All He Sees Is Red
by moyabomb
Summary: Souji and Yukiko start their relationship but decide to keep it secret. How hard can that be?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Persona 4. Atlus does.

"Are you going to pray for something, Souji-kun?"

A silvery-grey-haired teen stood next to a girl with long black hair in front of Tatsuhime Shrine. Although it was a particularly hot and humid day, Souji decided to accompany his friend on her trip to one of her favorite places. He looked around the old shrine, taking in how neglected it was while the girl watched him expectantly.

"…for everyone," he finally replied. His friend gave a hearty giggle.

"That's just like you!"

It was Souji's turn to look at her now. "How about you, Yukiko-san? What are you praying for?"

"I'm wishing for everyone's health," she said as she turned away from him to gaze at the shrine. "For Chie, for you, for the others… And for everyone at the inn, too. And…" she shifted uncomfortably as her cheeks began to glow red, "I'm wishing to become a woman worthy of you… Souji-kun."

Souji kept his eyes trained on her. If he was surprised at her confession, he did not show it, but Yukiko turned to look back at him with a smile. "Finally, I wish for everyone to be able to smile together…"

Their eyes met with a silent understanding. With all the murders and kidnappings lately smiling has become one of the more difficult things to do. Souji nodded in agreement with Yukiko.

"Let's begin our prayer," she said, and the two bowed their heads in silence. The two stood silently for a number of minutes without moving. Yukiko finished praying before Souji and waited quietly so as not to disturb him. A few moments later he completed his prayer and was greeted with some welcoming words.

"I've decided not to leave Inaba."

Souji was caught off guard. He watched her quietly as she looked at everything else but him. "I never really objected to being the inn's manager per se…" she said as she shifted to a more comfortable stance "I just didn't like the fact that it wasn't up to me… I felt that my life was on rails. And I thought running away was the only choice for me…"

Her head tilted toward the ground, a determined gleam in her eyes. "But no longer. I want to protect the family inn." With a smile she added "After all, it's near to my heart…"

She turned her face to Souji, who never took his eyes off her. "…Thank you, Souji-kun. I think it's because of you that I realized this. Because you were always by my side…"

She began to blush again and had to look away once more. "U-Umm, I wanted to ask you this before…"

She started tracing circles on the ground with her toe. "Wh-Why… Why are you always with me…?"

Souji turned to face her, feeling the air around him growing warmer. Only a second later he realized his heart was racing form being put on the spot so suddenly and that the sudden increase in temperature was not from the summer heat. The girl before him tilted her head to the side.

"I-Is it okay… for me to ask…?"

A light breeze blew around them, and finally Souji gave his answer.

"Because… I really like you."

Yukiko's breath caught in her throat at his words. "Y… You like… me?" By now her face was a brighter red than the red sweater she wore to school every day. Her mind went numb as she replayed his words over and over in her head. At long last she was able to give him an answer.

"I-I feel the same way, so…"

She could not bring herself to say 'I like you' to him, at least not yet. She was mentally kicking herself for not saying those little words when she heard a soft chuckle.

She looked up to see Souji smiling back at her, and she couldn't help but giggle—his smile held a warmth that spread to his grey eyes. It was a smile he used only when he was around people he was very close to, but only now she realized that he had been smiling like that at her even before they were as close as they are now.

"Um… could you stay with me, just a little longer?" she asked shyly, not caring anymore if he saw how much she was blushing. With a quick nod the two of them sat on the steps of the shrine with Yukiko resting her head against his shoulder. They sat like that for awhile, fingers intertwined with one another as they enjoyed each other's company. No one ever approached them or even noticed they were there, and even the summer heat was barely noticeable. It was as if they had their own little world there at the shrine.

"Yukiko-san, it's getting late," Souji said gently after a long while. Yukiko lifted her head from its resting place with a frown.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," she sighed as she released Souji's hand and stood up. As she brushed off her clothes Souji also stood up and did the same. They gathered their school bags and silently left the shrine as the sun began to set.

--

As they walked along the Samegawa Flood Plain Souji reached over to hold her hand. He gave it an affectionate squeeze and she returned the favor. Yukiko decided to break the silence.

"Souji-kun? Could we keep quiet about us for awhile?"

The young couple's pace slowed to a stop. The sunset's light cast a golden glow to the scene around them. The heat and humidity lingered in the air as they stood there, still holding each other's hand.

"Is something wrong?" he asked with concern in his voice.

"Huh? No, nothing's wrong, it's just," Yukiko set her school bag down and took Souji's hand in both of hers, "I don't want to make it a huge deal, even to our friends."

"Even Chie-chan?"

"Yes, even Chie. It's a little complicated but—"

Yukiko was interrupted by Souji suddenly taking his hand away.

"Souji-kun? I'm sorry if I—"

"I guess it would be a problem, considering you're one of the most popular girls at school," he said as he walked around her. "All your fans might come after me for keeping you all to myself."

"What? I don't think—"

"Not to mention the same for you. There are a lot of girls in school who might want to harm you if they found out about us."

He snatched up Yukiko's school bag and tucked it under his arm with his own bag. "Now, I'd better get you home before Chie-chan kills me for keeping you out late," he said as he held his hand out for her to take. "C'mon, we've fought countless shadows and we're still okay. I'm sure we can handle keeping us a secret with no problem. Besides, we can be together when no one's around, right?"

Yukiko was lost for words. Without a doubt most guys would have been disappointed in not being able to show off to their friends on who had accomplished the Amagi Challenge, but Souji was different from most guys. This was one thing she liked about him, the way he sees the world differently. With a few glances around them, Yukiko took his hand almost greedily. With another look around she hooked her arm around his and smiled bashfully. As they approached the inn they relinquished each other's arm. Souji handed over her bag and as she took it she leaned in and gave him a peck on the cheek.

"Good night, Souji-kun," she whispered, her face a brilliant red from her little stunt. Souji's hand flew to where she had kissed him, a stunned look on his face. Yukiko ran happily to the entrance of the inn and gave him a final wave before disappearing inside. Souji stood there for a few moments before turning around and heading home. The sun had set completely by the time he reached his uncle's house, yet he stood outside the front door, his hand back on the cheek his girlfriend had graced with a kiss.

"Hide our relationship, huh?" he said as he looked up to the evening sky. "I guess it's called the Amagi Challenge for a reason…"


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning Souji was on his way to school, the mid July heat already suffocating the small town of Inaba. He listened to the chatter of the students around him, some planning out what to do after school, others complaining about school, but most of it was about the recent murder of his homeroom teacher, Kinshiro Morooka. He wasn't the most likeable guy around, but to know someone that was murdered is still pretty nerve-wracking.

Then he remembered his new homeroom teacher, Noriko Kashiwagi. Souji couldn't help but cringe at the thought of her. She always gave him this look in class that made him feel as if a thousand showers would never make him clean…

"Hey! Wait up!"

Souji spun around to see a boy with wild hair and a pair of headphones around his neck run up to him, his backpack bouncing around.

"Dude, didn't you hear me call you? I was yelling so much that everyone except you was staring at me!" the boy panted as they continued up the hill to school.

"Sorry, Yosuke, I was just thinking about something," Souji said with a sheepish grin.

"You're always thinking about something. If it's not school, it's shadows, if it's not shadows, it's a club, if it's not—"

"Alright, alright, I get it, I can't help that I'm always busy!"

Yosuke sighed. "I just don't get how you can balance so much stuff all at once. Oh well, at least you don't have a girlfriend to worry about."

Souji snickered. "Yeah, that'll throw off the balance of everything."

Inside his head he was apologizing to Yukiko for saying such a thing.

--

"Oh, there they are!"

Yukiko was already sitting at her desk talking with her best friend, a girl with short, light-brown hair and a green track jacket wrapped around her waist. It was her friend who had called out Souji's and Yosuke's arrival.

"Hey, g'morning you two," Yosuke greeted the two girls as he sat down at his own desk. Souji did the same and sat in the desk in front of Yosuke's. He noticed that Yukiko was looking at him intently, and he shot her a look to hint at her to not look suspicious. She shook her head back to reality and tried to act as natural as possible.

"S-so, um, Chie, are you busy today? Why don't we, um, do something after school?" she said, an unnatural smile plastered to her face. Her friend gave her a strange look.

"Uh, Yukiko? Don't you have work at the inn today? You're usually busy on Fridays," Chie reminded her flustered friend.

"Huh? Oh, right, sorry Chie, we'll just have to hang out another time," Yukiko said with nervous laughter. She quickly turned to sit forward in her chair, worried that she had overdone acting casual. Chie, however, got up and stood by her friend, placing her hand over her forehead.

"You seem a bit warm, maybe you caught a summer cold? You'd better go see the school nurse."

"I-I'm fine, Chie! Don't worry about it," Yukiko said quickly, her face burning a brighter red. "I'll be okay, I just—"

Just then Kashiwagi entered the room causing all the students to rush to their seats. Souji smiled to himself as he caught a glimpse of his girlfriend's face.

_I guess red really does suit her, _he thought idly to himself as his teacher began to take roll.

--

Lunch time came, and by then the classroom was broiling the students alive. Souji was about to get out of his seat when he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket.

"Let's have lunch on the roof together," the message read. His eyes lit up when he saw that Yukiko was the sender and looked up in time to see her pocket her own cell phone and leave the classroom with her boxed lunch in hand. Souji clicked his phone shut and headed for the hallway where he was stopped by the newest member of his group of friends, the pop idol Rise Kujikawa.

"Senpai, are you busy today? Let's go shopping after school!" she said as she bounced happily on her toes. Before he could reply she had already skipped off, only to have her spot refilled by another student.

"Hey, wanna train today? We have to be in top condition to beat shadows, right?" Chie left to find a place to eat, leaving Souji to contemplate working today or hanging out with his friends. As he turned toward the stairs yet another student approached him.

"Let's grab something to eat at Junes later, huh? My treat!" Yosuke said as he passed by without stopping. When he felt that it was okay for him to move, Souji made his way up the stairs to the roof where he found Yukiko sitting alone with her lunch box in her lap.

"Sorry I'm late, I hope you weren't waiting too long," he said as he took a seat next to her. The sun's heat was worse up here than inside and there was no breeze to cut through the thick humidity. He flapped his collar a bit for a little air flow.

"Oh, not at all! Actually, I'm sorry I made such a commotion this morning, and sorry for asking you to join me on such a hot day," she said as she opened her lunch box. Inside was some slightly mushy rice and what looked like an attempt at octopus weeners.

"I hope it came out okay," she said as she pulled out her chop sticks. "The head chef showed me how to cut them to look like octopi, but—" she tried to explain, but Souji had already grabbed one that resembled a massacred sea cucumber and popped it in his mouth. She watched as his face pulled into some interesting looks.

"Another failure, I suppose," she said glumly as she shut the box. Souji finished eating the strangely-cut hot dog and said, "You know, it's unhealthy to apologize too much. Actually, it wasn't so bad. Maybe a little undercooked, but it was much better than that first omelet."

"R-Really?" she asked softly, and he nodded as he took the lunch box from her. He reopened it, took up her chop sticks and picked up another one of the massacred sea cucumbers.

"Here," he said as he held it up to her. "Ah…"

Yukiko took one good look at his face and started to snicker. Souji had his mouth wide open when he offered her the tiny morsel and she couldn't help but laugh at how cute he looked.

"Pfft… Souji-kun… your face…" she gasped between laughs. He soon realized how ridiculous he looked and laughed along with her. When she finally calmed down she opened her mouth to try her own cooking.

"Oh, you're right! It's not as bad as I thought," she said thoughtfully as Souji tried some of her rice.

"Told you so. Nngh!" Souji choked on the small chunk of rice he tried, but when he bit down on it he discovered something incredibly hard inside. Only some of the rice was mushy while the rest was solid from being overcooked. Yukiko took the chop sticks and poked at her own rice.

"Whoops, I guess I took so much time working on the hot dogs that I completely forgot about the rice!" she explained as Souji struggled with the rice. They eventually decided to toss out the rice after they finished the octopus weeners.

"Thanks, Yukiko-san. You've really improved," he said as he stood up.

"You're welcome, but hot dogs usually come prepared, so it doesn't really count," she replied as she put the lunch box away.

"I dunno, it still requires some work to cook those things."

"Yeah, I guess. Either way, I'm glad we were able to spend some time like this," she smiled as she stood up.

"Me too, but if we're going to keep our relationship quiet, we probably can't do this very often," he said with a frown.

"That's true. I'm fine as long as we can spend even a little time together."

Souji felt a bit of sadness from her words. He knew that she didn't mind him spending time with their other friends, or him working whenever he had extra time, but just knowing that they couldn't spend much time together was what hurt most. He watched as she strode over to the side of the roof and look out over the small town.

"Yukiko-san?"

"It really is beautiful, isn't it? I'm glad I decided not to leave."

She whirled around to face him, a smile on her face. "Next time we get to eat lunch again, I'll make you something even better! Then you'll have something to look forward to."

Souji chuckled. "I always look forward to spending time with you," he said as he walked up to her. "But I guess food helps."

He brushed her bangs away as he planted a small kiss on her forehead. When he stepped away she was blushing again. He moved toward the exit, leaving her standing frozen to the spot.

"By the way," he called out as he reached for the door handle, "That's for yesterday."

She remained on the roof until her face finally returned to normal.

--

After school Yukiko quickly left to help out at her family's inn. Chie got up and decided to walk her friend home, while Yosuke went to answer his cell phone. When he returned he told Souji that he wasn't able to hang out that day due to his father needing more workers at Junes.

"I guess I'll get you that steak another time. See ya!" Yosuke said as he slung his bag over his shoulder and left. Souji eventually took up his school bag and left his classroom, almost running into a very large girl with short brown hair.

"Oh, Hanako-san, sorry," he said as he squeezed past her large frame. The girl watched him dreamily as he descended the stairs. He looked around the first floor and spotted Rise eyeing the fire alarm.

"No, I shouldn't touch it," he heard her mumble to herself. "I'm an idol, and I should be setting a good example…"

"Then let's remove all temptation by going on that shopping trip?" Souji offered, startling the young girl.

"Oh, Senpai! You saw that?" she said with a guilty smile. The two left the school to explore what the neighboring city had to offer.

--

"So, what was the deal with this morning?"

Chie and Yukiko were walking briskly towards the Amagi Inn with Chie interrogating her friend the entire way. Yukiko was walking as fast as she could to avoid the questions.

"I'm sure it was just as you said, Chie," she replied without looking at her friend. "A slight fever was probably all it was."

"Are you sure? You seemed fine before, so—"

The girl in red was growing tired of her friend's questions but was pleased to see her concern for her well being. "Chie, I'm fine, really. Don't worry so much about it."

She smiled at Chie who continued to look at her with furrowed eyebrows. With a sigh she admitted defeat and her eyebrows relaxed.

"I'm sorry, Yukiko, it's just that, after I learned how you really felt when you got thrown into the TV, I just…"

Yukiko slowed her pace to listen to her best friend. "Chie…"

The short-haired girl eventually slowed her pace to a stop. "…I just felt so bad that even though you're my best friend, I had no idea what you were going through."

Yukiko put her hands on Chie's shoulders. "Chie, that was a long time ago. I don't feel that way anymore."

"I know, but since then I promised myself that I wouldn't let you feel like that ever again."

"Oh Chie, since then I haven't felt like that at all. You've done a great job in protecting me," Yukiko reassured her friend. "I'm sorry if I worried you, but don't worry—nothing's wrong with me."

_I guess keeping our relationship secret is more difficult for me than it is for Souji-kun,_ she thought to herself as she gave her friend a hug. _Chie, forgive me for not saying anything. I'm just not ready for everyone to know about us yet. _

"I know how to make it up to you," she said as she pulled away from her friend. "Tonight they're serving barbecue to our guests and our head chef usually has me try some. If you like, we can get a few skewers to see if you like it; he's always looking for new opinions."

Chie's face quickly lit up at her friend's offer and agreed to try some. As they continued towards Yukiko's inn they talked more about the topic, understanding more and more about each other. Yukiko was truly glad to have such an amazing friend, and just as happy that she had such an understanding boyfriend who helped her realize that moving away was possibly one of the worst decisions she could have regretted.

--

Author's note: I am still taking suggestions. Thank you to those who sent me suggestions! I already know what to do with a few of them! I promise that it'll get a little more interesting later. Thank you all again!


	3. Chapter 3

Souji and Rise arrived at Okina City, a place lined with small stores that mostly sold clothes and accessories. They took in the sight of how few people there were, relieving a rather nervous Rise.

"I'm not really out and about like this because I tend to be recognized wherever I go," she explained as they passed a small jewelry store. "But somehow I feel like I'll be okay since you're here, Senpai."

Souji peered down at his junior. "I'm glad I could help. Being an idol sounds a lot less glamorous than it's cracked up to be."

"Well, I guess it's not that bad, it's just that it can be overwhelming at times," she said. "Oh, let's try that store over there!"

They walked into a store with that was overloaded with pink and heavy with perfume. Souji was reminded not-so-fondly of Rise's dungeon, only minus the dance poles.

"Hey, look at this! I'll try it on and you tell me how it looks, okay?"

Before he could process what she had just announced she disappeared into the changing stall. Only about a minute later she whipped the curtain of her stall open, revealing the dress she tried on.

"Well, how do I look?" she asked as she struck a pose.

The dress was all black and clung to her skin like plastic wrap. Her curves were accentuated very well, but she looked like she was suffocating on how tight it was.

"It… uh…" Souji wasn't sure how to react to it, but Rise only giggled.

"Oh Senpai, you're so cute! Okay, I'll change back so you don't get overwhelmed by my looks."

Once again she disappeared inside the stall. This time she took a few more minutes to change back into her school uniform, which was fine with Souji because he needed some time to recover from her appearance. She came back out with her school uniform back on.

"Yeah, I guess this was a little too over the top," she said as she returned the horrific dress to the rack. She strode over to her senior and took a hold of his arm. "C'mon, Senpai, there's still a lot more stores to look at!"

As they left the store Rise wondered if she was trying too hard to impress him.

--

"Rise-chan, I have to admit, you blazed through quite a number of outfits today," Souji said as they headed for the train station.

"Yeah, as an idol I had to learn to change clothes that fast. Actually, now that I think about it, everything had to be at least that fast," she said thoughtfully. The afternoon had been rather quiet with only a small handful of people coming up to them to ask if she was Risette. Though she was able to express to them that she wasn't, she felt a tiny twinge of guilt as she saw them walk away disappointed.

"What else did you have to do fast?"

Rise awakened back to reality from her thoughts at Souji's question. "Oh, um, eating was probably the most annoying—I was lucky to even finish half my meal most of the time!"

Souji felt like he was starting to understand her a little more. Not being able to wander around freely or enjoy a simple pleasure like eating must have been a mental prison.

"Senpai, I'm glad you came out here with me today."

He looked to see her beaming up at him. "I feel better than I ever have since I came back to Inaba, and being able to hang out with you just makes the experience even better."

Her smile was different from the ones Souji had seen in her commercials. There was a pure and natural warmth he could feel along with her trust in him.

"You're welcome," he said as they boarded the train. The train ride back to Inaba was a quiet one, both being exhausted from running around the city as fast as they did. The walk to Rise's home was a little more lively as Rise had more freedom to talk about herself without the fear of people swarming her. After dropping her off at her grandmother's tofu shop Souji headed home, only to encounter another friend.

"Hey, you're out pretty late," he called over to his friend. Chie shuffled over to him, a half-eaten barbecue stick in one hand and a container of more skewers in the other. She tore off a chunk of meat from the stick in her hand.

"Yeah, I'm on my way home from Yukiko's. She said that their head chef needed some taste testers and I guess after I gave him a good review he packed a bunch up for me as a thank-you," she grinned.

"Ah, I see. Invite me next time."

Lucky for them their houses were generally in the same neighborhood. On the way to their homes they discussed plans of going on another meat-eating tour of Inaba sometime in the future. Eventually the Amagi Inn was roped into the tour.

"Speaking of Yukiko, didn't you think that she was acting a little weird this morning?" Chie asked as she held out a stick of barbecue for Souji. He took it and ripped some meat off of it to give him time to think of an excuse for Yukiko's behavior.

"She was acting weird? Sorry, I was listening to Yosuke's wish for not having to work at Junes today," he replied, hoping his lie was good enough. "What did she do that was weird?"

"Well, she said she wanted to go shopping today, but she knows that she has to help out at the inn on Fridays. Then she had this nervous laugh like she was trying to hide something," Chie said as she trotted over to a nearby trash can to dispose of her empty skewer. She then trotted back next to Souji. "Do you think something's up?"

Souji made a face, pretending to think deeply about the situation. "Nope, can't think of anything. Do you recall what happened when she spazzed out?"

"Let's see… uh, we were talking about Teddie's new look and what kind of outfits we could dress him up in, then you and Yosuke came in… oh!" she roughly grabbed Souji's arm. "She started acting weird when you and Yosuke came in!"

_Crap, this is bad,_ he thought as he tried to keep his face as straight as possible. When she grabbed onto his arm they had stopped walking, and now she was staring straight at his face. _If this keeps up, Chie-san's gonna figure us out!_

Souji felt the hairs on the back of his neck raise; he broke out in a cold sweat and braced himself for the impact of what Chie was going to say next. _No, I have to try to avert this!_

He opened his mouth to throw her off but she was too fast for him. "Do you think maybe she's still guilty about charging Teddie's clothes to Yosuke's account?"

He froze with his mouth wide open. The pressure he felt in his chest lessened as his mind processed what he had just heard. The hairs on the back of his neck lowered as he finally started to relax.

"Hey, are you okay?" Chie asked, oblivious to what was going on inside his head. "I know it sounds strange, but Yukiko can be pretty sensitive about these things. I mean sure, she and I used to ditch class, but we never used someone else's money whenever we did. Still…"

She released her grasp on Souji's arm and resumed walking. Souji automatically started walking forward, still in shock over such a close encounter. He regained his composure and attempted to continue the conversation.

"That sounds… about right," he said hesitantly, afraid that he might accidentally lead her back to the truth again. As nervous as he was, his face and body language hardly showed any signs of discomfort, unlike just a few moments ago.

Chie didn't seem to notice any of his awkward behavior. "Yeah, but it's okay. I'm sure he'll eventually earn it all back. Besides, if I just say that Yukiko felt bad for Teddie and really wanted him to have some clothes, I'm sure he'll let it slide—he can't deny a cute girl!"

Souji soon felt as normal as he looked. He remembered the beginning of the school year when Yosuke mentioned that he tried asking Yukiko out on a date and got turned down flat. He couldn't stop a smirk from spreading across his face as he realized how true Chie's words might actually be. Upon seeing his smirk, Chie couldn't help but laugh. "Yeah, I'll make sure to tell her that. And don't you worry either—I'll take good care of her!"

At long last they arrived at Chie's house. When he saw that she was inside her house safely Souji went on his way to his uncle's house. He was greeted by his little cousin as soon as he opened the door.

"Welcome home, Big Bro!"

"Hey Nanako-chan. Is your dad home yet?" he asked as he removed his shoes before entering.

"No, not yet. He called earlier saying that he was gonna be late."

"I see. I guess we'll just have to fend for ourselves then," he said as he moved toward the refrigerator and examined the contents. "What do you want for dinner?"

Nanako got up from her usual spot by the family room table and joined him. "Huh? You're gonna cook? Can I help?"

"Of course you can. Now, tell me what you feel like having and I'll see if we have enough ingredients for it."

--

Curry rice was that night's dinner, and even though they lacked a few ingredients it came out pretty good. Nanako made sure to set some aside for her father when he came home from work and even made a little sign to indicate that it was for him. Once all the dishes were washed it was his little cousin's bed time.

"G'nite," she yawned after she brushed her teeth. Souji then proceeded to take a nice, relaxing bath, taking his time washing himself. After he dumped a final bucketful of water over himself, he moved over to the tub.

"I guess Yosuke's right about being busy," he muttered as he settled into the tub. The hot water was the most soothing thing he had felt all day, aside from his lunch date with Yukiko. He leaned his head back and let his eyes lose focus on the ceiling. "Crap, and I have homework after this. Do I even have time for a girlfriend?"

He replayed Yosuke's voice in his head. _I just don't get how you can balance so much stuff all at once. Oh well, at least you don't have a girlfriend to worry about._

"But I do have a girlfriend," he said as he closed his eyes. He pictured Yukiko in his mind. "We just don't want our relationship out in the open."

He sat there for a few more minutes before getting out and draining the water. Once he had his sleep clothes on he went back up to his room and sat at his desk to complete his homework. After a few math problems he found his mind wandering back to Yukiko.

"Looks like having a girlfriend is proving more troublesome than I thought," he said with a little smile. It was about two in the morning by the time he finished his homework.

--

When he finally got to sleep, Souji dreamt that he was standing in the middle of a vast field, the setting sun casting its radiant glow as far as the eye could see. The tall grass that surrounded him tickled his knuckles as a light breeze swirled around him. He let out a relieved sigh as he soaked in the tranquility.

Somewhere behind him he heard the sound of someone crying. He spun around to see a crying Yukiko in a plain, white dress. He called out to her, but she kept her head down, her bangs covering her eyes. He waded through the tall grass over to her and placed his hands on her shoulders.

"Yukio-san, what's wrong?" he asked softly, but she just stood there sobbing. "Whatever it is, I—"

"…S-Sorry…"

Souji was surprised to hear her apology. "Sorry? For what?" He tried to smile warmly but it was tainted with fear.

"I'm sorry… Souji-kun…" her voice was barely above a whisper. Souji wrapped his arms around her and held her close, allowing her to sob into his shoulder.

"Hey, it's okay. Just what is it that you're apologizing for?"

He felt something press into his stomach and heard a soft click.

"Souji-kun, forgive me…"

Flecks of red sprayed onto the surrounding grass as the sound of a gunshot echoed across the plains. He fell to the ground as the scenery around him faded. The last thing he heard was the anguish-filled scream from the girl he thought loved him.

--

Souji bolted upright in his futon, breathing heavily. His shirt was completely soaked with sweat, partly from the heat and partly from his nightmare. When his breathing slowed down he checked his phone to check the time. The bright light burned his eyes as he read the time to be five in the morning. He sat there for awhile, trying to shake off the after effects of his nightmare and finally decided to attempt sleep again. When he found that he couldn't sleep anymore he spent the rest of the morning wondering if his dream meant anything.

--

The following morning Souji made it to school before any of his friends. He set his face on his desk and fenced it in with his arms to block out the sounds of the other students around him. With only three hours of sleep and unbearable heat following him wherever he went, he was quite irritable and slightly out of it. Just when he was about to doze off he felt someone lay their hand on his shoulder.

"Um, are you alright?"

He flinched when he recognized his girlfriend's voice, causing her to pull her hand away. He had not been able to recover fully from his nightmare just yet.

"I'm fine, just tired," he replied, his voice slightly muffled by his arms.

"Why? What did you do yesterday to make you so tired?"

Yosuke appeared on Souji's left. "He hung out with Rise-chan yesterday. That girl's got so much energy that I bet this is her doing," he said as he indicated towards the exhausted Souji. "But man, a date with Risette? It's just not fair!"

Yukiko gasped. "A date? What?"

Before she could jump to any conclusions, Souji jumped in to defend himself. "It wasn't a date. She wanted to go shopping but was afraid she was gonna be recognized. I just escorted her, that's all."

Yukiko's face softened and eventually turned to a frown. "Is that really it?"

Yosuke winked. "Yukiko-san, you sound like you just caught your boyfriend cheating."

The girl before him started to panic. "What? N-No, it's not like that, it's just…" she couldn't find anything to say to protect herself. Yosuke looked at her, waiting for an answer but it was Souji who gave it.

"She's just concerned about Rise-chan's safety. How many guys can you trust to escort a pop idol like her around without them pulling some sick stunt?"

His best friend gave it some thought before saying anything. "I guess you're right. You might be the only trustworthy guy here."

Yukiko felt her body relax when she saw that Yosuke accepted the answer. "By the way, Yosuke-kun, how'd you know they were out together?"

"Chie told me just now before she went to the bathroom. Speak of the devil!" he said as Chie joined the rest of them. She took one look at Souji and sighed.

"You look dead. Does this have anything to do with Rise-chan? I just saw her downstairs and she seemed fine," she said as she took her seat next to her fallen friend.

"Of course she's fine! Idols need superhuman amounts of energy!" Yosuke burst out.

"Oh, you're right. My bad," Chie backed down with a sheepish smile. Just then their homeroom teacher entered the classroom and started taking roll call while a headache started pounding away at Souji's head.

--

Throughout the school day Souji forced himself to take notes while his headache pounded away at his brain. By the end of the day his 'temporary insanity' got the better of him, and his notebook was filled with scribbles from the instances he nodded off and some unkind words for the heat. Chie leaned over and read some aloud.

"'Cursed be the summer heat… I hope global warming suffers before it dies!' What is all this?" she asked him as she read a few more. "'Let's hold a rally to boycott the sun! Oh god of winter, please send thy frosty clouds to crap divine snow upon us.' Dude, you are _not_ okay!"

Yukiko stifled a snicker by saying that she had to post flyers on the bulletin boards around the school. As she left, Yosuke proceeded to complain once more about Souji's 'date' with Rise, causing Chie to grow tired of his whining.

"Oh, drop it! Why not just ask her if she wants to go around with you?"

"She just went shopping yesterday! Why would she wanna go again?"

Souji found himself sandwiched between a yelling Yosuke on his left and a screeching Chie on his right.

"Invite her to Junes! That way, if you try pulling something I'll be nearby to stomp on your face!"

"Are you saying I'm not trustworthy?!"

"Are you kidding? Leaving a girl with you is like… like…"

"—Like leaving you with an unattended plate of steak?" Yosuke grinned.

"Exactly! Like—what? Oh, you're gonna pay!"

Souji felt his hair get ruffled as Chie's foot flew over his head. Yosuke dodged her attack and made a break for the door.

"Come back here and take that back!" Chie cried as she chased him down the hall.

"Too late! You already agreed!" Yosuke called over his shoulder. Back in the classroom Souji took this opportunity to pack up and leave. As he descended the stairs to the first floor he heard the distant sounds of his two friends running and yelling somewhere on the third floor.

At the bottom of the stairs he saw Yukiko posting some flyers and decided to help. As he approached her he was cut off by a girl with long, wavy hair.

"Hey. Are you busy today? Come with me," the girl said. Ai Ebihara was a girl that Souji couldn't really call a friend, but something like a slave driver. He rubbed his forehead with his fingers as he recalled being her pack mule on their first shopping trip.

"Ai-san, I'm not feeling well, so I'm going to have to—"

Souji let out a yelp as Ai took a hold of the front of his shirt. Yukiko turned around in time to see her boyfriend get dragged out the door by an unknown girl.

"You look fine. There's something at Okina City I wanna get," Ai said without letting go of his shirt. Yukiko watched helplessly as his silvery head disappeared down the hill.

"Whoa, that's some woman Senpai's got there."

The stunned girl looked to her right to see a tall, blond first-year boy next to her. "Kanji-kun? What just…?"

Kanji Tatsumi turned his gaze away from the door to look at the older girl. "Well, I just thought that Senpai'd be the type that wouldn't let strange girls treat him that way, so I thought she was his girlfriend or something."

"Wha—girlfriend?!"

"Yeah. Actually, a lot of girls in my class won't shut up about him. Even Rise keeps telling me about 'Senpai this' and 'Senpai that' that I got sick of it."

Yukiko was furious, but knew she couldn't show it. She balled her hands into fists, doing whatever it took to cover up her rage.

_How dare she step between me and Souji-kun! And what's more, how dare she force him against his will to go out while he's ill! I swear, if he dies before he gets those snow-crapping clouds, I'll—_

Just then Chie and Yosuke stumbled by, clutching their sides and panting.

"'Sup… Kanji-kun," Yosuke gasped. His left cheek seemed to have a perfect imprint of a shoe on it.

"Nuthin' much, but Souji-senpai got kidnapped by some girl just now. I think she's his girlfriend."

Chie perked up on the word 'girlfriend'. "No way! Souji-kun's got a girlfriend?! Who was it?"

Kanji scratched his head. "Uh, I'm not too sure. She was real pretty, though."

"W-Well, we gotta go check this girl out! C'mon!" Chie yelled as she grabbed Yosuke's and Kanji's wrists. "C'mon, Yukiko! Let's see who this mystery girl is!"

Yukiko was clenching her jaw when Chie called to her. She let out a grunt in agreement and shot out the door, leaving her three friends in the hallway.

"Wow, didn't think Yukiko-san would be that excited in checking out who that girl is," Yosuke panted as they ran after Yukiko. "You think something's up?"

"Is something wrong with Yukiko-senpai? She looked kinda pissed when I mentioned Senpai's girlfriend," Kanji said with a regretful look.

"Wait, she was mad when she heard about the mystery girl? Do you think maybe…" Chie's voice trailed off as she took some time to breathe; she still hadn't fully recovered from chasing Yosuke. "…Yukiko likes Souji-kun?"

The three sped up their pace in their eagerness to confirm the truth.


	4. Chapter 4

A full twenty-four hours had barely passed when Souji was last in the pink-overload store with Rise. Now he was back in the same store, which he now knew was called Croco Fur, leaving him to wonder how crocodiles, fur and overkill amounts of pink related to one another. This train of thought was his last line of defense before his last few ounces of energy and patience ran out.

_At least there's air conditioning, _he thought as he tried to find a good spot to stare and zone out at. Ai was looking around with her back to Souji.

"Hmm, doesn't look like they've gotten anything new in. I already have all this…" he heard her say. In his grumpiness he did his best to not show his irritation of being brought out into the city for nothing. By now his headache was throbbing dully while his desire to go home and sleep was stronger than before.

"We'll have to come back," he said with a calm tone as he turned his gaze over to the window. Ai looked over her shoulder at him.

"I'll get something next time, but I want something today, too. I came here to buy, not to look."

Outside the store behind a planter were four Yasogami high students, crouching low as they kept a close watch on their friend.

"Senpai doesn't look like he's enjoying himself in there," Kanji said as Souji scowled in the window. "He looks like he's ready to tear some poor bastard's head off."

On Kanji's left was Chie, who agreed with Kanji. On Chie's left, Yosuke was paying more attention to the girl Souji was accompanying.

"Dude, he scored with Ai Ebihara?! She's one of the school's hotties! What the hell?!" he said in a whiny voice into Chie's ear.

"Ew! Don't breathe on me! It's humid enough as is!" Chie pushed him away and resumed her watch on Souji. "But you're right, Kanji-kun, he really doesn't look like he wants to be there. D'you think maybe they're not together at all?"

"That better be the case, or else…" on Kanji's distant right was a fuming Yukiko, who was muttering darkly under her breath. Fortunately, no one heard her, but Kanji could feel dark energy flowing from her.

"Um, I-I'm gonna go grab something to… to eat, so…" he slinked away, feeling a fear growing inside of him. Chie and Yosuke didn't seem to notice him leave.

"Well, she is kinda pretty, I guess," Chie started observing Ai now. "I wonder what kind of girl she is, considering that she forced Souji-kun to come here."

"Yeah, but there're some rumors about her around school—none of them were good," Yosuke said quietly.

"Oh? Like what?"

"Uh, stuff like… she's always ditching class, or she's always with a different guy, or she uses guys for their wallets, or something," Yosuke suddenly realized what he just said. "Oh crap! You don't think…?"

--

Back inside the store, Ai was still looking around. "Hey, I'm thirsty. Get me an ice latte," she ordered Souji.

"Get it yourself," he growled uncontrollably. His patience was reaching its limit.

"Huh…? Did you seriously just say that?"

_Oops. Oh wait, that's right—I don't care right now._ He turned his grumpy countenance to her, expecting to find an angry Ai but found a look of surprise.

"You're probably the first guy who's ever taken that tone with me," her voice was slightly more gentle but more imbued with shock. As she stood there looking back at him the store clerk came out of the back room to greet Ai.

"Oh, Ai-chan! You're back again?" the lady said in an overly-sweet tone. Ai turned to face her.

"…Well, yeah," she said to the lady. The attitude was back in her voice once again, but the lady simply took it.

"Are you looking for anything in particular today? Oh, we got a purse in that's just your style! The guys'll be all over you!"

Souji could see that Ai was not enjoying the clerk's attention. "…That's all right. I'm not shopping for purses today," he heard her say. She walked over to Souji's corner to indicate for them to leave when the clerk spoke again.

"Ooh, is that your boyfriend? He's quite a handsome one! Are you gonna introduce him to me?"

Ai was struggling to hide her annoyance, but the woman kept talking. "I've had the worst luck with men lately! We were at the bar the other night—"

Ai spun around and quickly said, "Sorry, we've really gotta get going. I'll be back."

Souji felt a huge yank on his arm where Ai grabbed him to exit the store.

--

"If she really is using him to get stuff, then maybe—"

"Shh! Get down! Here they come!"

Yosuke clamped his hand over Chie's mouth as they ducked low behind the planter. Ai had Souji by the arm as she stormed out of the store, a most unpleasant look on her face.

Chie elbowed Yosuke in the ribs to get him to let her go. She quickly stood up and threw her hand out to point at Souji. "We are now in hot pursuit of the target! All members, move out!"

She looked to her right at the rest of the squad members to find that Kanji was missing and Yukiko was already pushing past a number of customers, apologizing to the many people she ran into. Chie's face fell as she lowered her arm, disappointed that her team had fallen apart. Yosuke was still rubbing where Chie had elbowed him when he stood up next to her, patting her shoulder with pity.

"Well, at least one member's working hard," he said as they watched Yukiko slam into a lady carrying numerous bags. They ran up to help the lady before resuming their duties as the 'Chie Squad'.

--

"…I hate salespeople," Ai sighed as they walked past some stores. "I'm the one keeping them in business, why do they have to pounce on me every time I go in there?"

Souji forced himself to listen to what she had to complain about. His irritation level lowered when he refused Ai her ice latte, and somehow, that made him feel better.

"They should just get rid of all salespeople and put in vending machines. Press a button, and out come your clothes."

"Sounds like a good idea," he said, not quite sure if he should press more of Ai's buttons. Ai nodded.

"Isn't it? I don't need all that pointless banter." She looked down at the ground. "I can see right through it… There's no such thing as a relationship without ulterior motives."

Souji felt a sadness from her words. He barely had a moment to contemplate what she had just said when she picked her head up and changed the subject.

"I don't know why, but I got a little annoyed when she was talking about you back there. She said you were handsome. Good for you, I guess."

Deep in the dark depths of Souji's mind came: _I'm so handsome 'cause I'm sooo delicious…_

She steered him into a jewelry store, where she started pointing out the most elaborate pieces. Behind another planter outside the store, the group of friends continued their observation.

"Hey, Yukiko-san? What's up with you today? Normally you only get this way if we're fighting shadows."

Yosuke was curious about Yukiko's behavior and thought that now was a good time to ask her about it. Chie lost interesting in the mysterious girl and joined in the conversation.

"Hey, yeah! Now that you mention it, you seemed kinda mad when you ran out the door. What's up?"

Yukiko looked to her right to see Chie and Yosuke staring back at her. She felt her rage turn to a cold fear welling up in her chest as their questions sunk into her. "W-Well, I…"

She found it hard to look into her best friend's eyes as she struggled for an answer—she wasn't as good at making up excuses like Souji was. Her friends watched as she squirmed for an answer to give them.

"I-It's just that, Souji-kun's my friend, and he wasn't feeling well this morning, s-so… o-of course I'm concerned about him!" Her voice was shaking as she spoke, not completely convincing Yosuke but Chie somewhat accepted it.

"Well, I guess that makes sense, especially since he was kidnapped by some girl we don't know," Chie's stare became less intense but she didn't take her eyes off of the girl in red. "But you seemed more mad than worried about the whole thing. Yukiko, do you…"

Yukiko winced as she had a feeling what the rest of the question was going to be. No matter what, she couldn't think of an answer to give that made more sense than the truth. She started gripping the hem of her skirt tightly, her knuckles turning a pale white.

_No… please, don't say it!_

Out of the corner of her eye, a tall figure walked toward them, a bag of food in one hand and a soda in the other.

"Kanji-kun! Get down!" Yukiko hissed. In an act of desperation to not let Chie finish her question, she tackled Kanji to the ground, his soda spilling everywhere.

"Gah! Y-Y-Yukiko-senpai, please… be gentle!" he gasped as the wind got knocked out of his lungs. She sat on his stomach, opened his bag of food, took out the burger inside and shoved it into his mouth to keep him from yelling anymore unnecessary things. As she got off of him, Chie and Yosuke grabbed Kanji by the ankles, pulled him out of the jewelry store's view and back behind the planter, all while he was choking on his burger.

--

Souji was relieved to be back inside a store with air condition without the pink. The clerk greeted them as they entered, but mostly left them alone to look around freely. Ai was looking at some of the necklaces while Souji went to the other side of the store to the earrings.

_I wonder if Yukiko-san has pierced ears,_ he thought as his eyes played along the various pieces of jewelry. _Or maybe a nice bracelet? Wait, we're trying to hide our relationship, not flaunt it. Then, maybe jewelry's not a good idea?_

"Hey, what d'you think?"

Souji looked up to see Ai trying on a golden necklace with a diamond pendant dangling from it. She flashed him a smile as she tossed her hair, trying to catch the remaining sunlight onto the precious gem.

"It looks great on you," he said with a weak smile. As she took it off to try another one, Souji looked at more jewelry, trying to find something that won't stand out so much. He hovered over the cases as he slowly drifted across the store, stopping occasionally to look closer at certain pieces but never really finding one he liked. He stopped by a case full of rings and saw that most of them had some pretty big stones embedded into them.

_I can't get her any of these, it's like giving her a neon sign saying she's taken._

He allowed his eyes to lose focus on the rings for a few moments. He started to wonder why he was trying so hard to find Yukiko something nice when they had only just started dating. They hadn't even been on an actual date, and yet…

The afternoon sunlight caught on one of the ring's stones, letting its presence be known to Souji. His vision slid back into focus as he fixed his attention on the stone that popped out at him. He saw it was a small, simple, silver ring with a tiny ruby embedded into it. He laid his hand on the case to get a better look at it and wondered how much it cost.

"Would you care to see it?"

The clerk's offer startled him, but he accepted. She brought the small ring out and put it in his hand. The small ruby winked at him as it caught the sunlight again, and Souji felt that it was made for Yukiko. He took a quick peek at Ai to see if she was watching, but found that she was trying to decide between three necklaces that were laid out before her.

_Maybe I'll come back and check the price later._

"Thanks," he said as he handed the small treasure back to the clerk. She had barely shut the case when Ai called her over.

"I'll take this one," she said as she held out a thin, gold necklace with a small, diamond pendant hanging from it. As the clerk took care of Ai, Souji looked back at the small ring and wondered how many part-time jobs he would have to take in order to pay for it.

--

Outside behind the planter, Kanji was coughing violently while he clutched his stomach—he had been choking on his hamburger that Yukiko shoved down his throat. Chie tried saving him by giving him a good, hard kick to his stomach, thinking it was the same concept as the Heimlich maneuver. Strangely enough, it worked. Yukiko was rapidly apologizing to Kanji for her actions while Yosuke glanced back to the store.

"Okay, the Yukiko I know wouldn't do anything even close to tackling someone like that. What's going on, Yukiko?" Chie pleaded with her friend. Yukiko stopped apologizing to Kanji to look back at Chie.

"Seriously, what the hell was that?!" Yosuke abandoned his watch to get an answer out of the oddball.

"I…"

"Yukiko, do you like Souji-kun?" Chie finally asked. Her words pierced deep into Yukiko's heart as she sat there with one hand on Kanji's shoulder.

"O-O-Of course I don't! He's just… a friend…" _No… it can't end like this. Why did I have to get so upset? _

"Um, Yosuke-senpai? Isn't that Souji-senpai comin' outta the store?" Kanji pointed to the jewelry store's entrance where Souji was holding the door open for Ai. She was fiddling with the diamond necklace she had just bought as she smiled up at Souji.

"Holy crap! He really is her sugar daddy!" Yosuke whispered excitedly to Chie.

"Oh my gawd, it's true! He actually bought her something!" Chie cried. Yukiko was so deep in thought that she hadn't heard a thing of what was going on.

_I'm sorry, Souji-kun, you did a good job keeping us secret, but I was just too obvious. But at least this way, you don't have to sneak around for me anymore. I'm sorry for wasting your efforts, but I have no choice except to tell them about us._

"I'm sorry for hiding all this from you," Yukiko said as she turned her face down to the pavement. All three of her friends shot her confused looks.

"You mean, you were keeping this a secret from us?" Chie couldn't believe what she was hearing. "But, why?"

"I didn't want anyone to know, so I kept it secret. I'm sorry," she said as she removed her hand from Kanji's shoulder. "I was afraid of… of how you were all going to react."

"But with something like this, you need to tell us!" Yosuke straightened up as he watched Souji leave the area with Ai. "Dammit, I can't believe this…"

Kanji stood up and brushed himself off. "That ain't right. We coulda done somethin' sooner if you just said somethin'."

Yukiko felt her throat tighten as she sat there and took in their harsh reactions. She had no clue that they would react so negatively towards their relationship as she sat there staring hard into her knees. "…I'm sorry…"

_Is our relationship that problematic for them? Even Kanji-kun sees it as such._

Chie looked at her friend with utmost pity. "Look guys, I'm sure she didn't tell us for a good reason, but right now, we have to go after Souji-kun and confront him about that gold digger!"

Yukiko lifted her head, her eyes widening slightly. "…Gold… digger…?" she whispered soft enough for only herself to hear. _But I'm not… wait, do they mean…_

"We'd better follow them before we lose track of them," Yosuke told them, and he and Kanji immediately ran off. Chie went over to Yukiko and knelt beside her.

"Yukiko, did you keep it quiet because you were afraid we'd lose respect for him?" she asked quietly. Yukiko couldn't believe her luck—she was no longer under suspicion of having feelings for Souji. In her surprised state all she could do was nod.

"Darn, it would've been interesting if you two were dating or something," she said as she helped her friend to her feet. Yukiko felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. "Sorry we were so rough on you. We just wanted to know what was going on."

Yukiko sighed with relief as they jogged after Yosuke and Kanji. "It's okay, Chie. I'm just sorry that I didn't say anything sooner."

It then hit her how much damage she might have done to Souji's reputation. _Sorry, Souji-kun, please don't get too mad. I'll make it up to you, I promise!_

--

"There's nothing else really to do here," Ai said as she stretched. "At least I got myself a nice necklace. What should we do instead?"

Souji was tempted to say he wanted to return home, but with a check of his watch he saw that the next train home wasn't for another half an hour.

"Let's just chill," he said as Ai plopped onto a nearby bench.

"What? You mean you don't have any kind of plan? Sounds boring…"

_So much for a break, _he thought as a sour look crossed his face.

"Oh well, maybe you'll be able to make it interesting," Ai said as she stood back up. She no longer had an annoyed look on her face, nor did she sound as irritated as Souji when they first arrived.

"You know, it's funny," she said as they prepared to wander around aimlessly. "If I didn't sign up to manage your team, you wouldn't be here with me now." She smiled haughtily at him. "Looking at it from your perspective, I'd say you got pretty lucky."

"Not exactly…" he muttered under his breath, but rather than getting angry, Ai laughed.

"Haha, are you still all butthurt that I made you skip class? You should be thanking me! You're a real rebel now!"

_Sorry, Yosuke beat you to it. He got me in trouble with the cops by carrying weapons to Junes. Your crime is weak sauce! _

"You know, it was your advisor that made me your team manager. Something about 'teaching me to put others first besides myself' or something." She shook her head. "I don't get people who play sports. But, I guess it wouldn't kill me to go cheer you on every once in awhile."

Just then a short boy from their school came up to Ai. His face was red and sweaty, and he seemed out of breath.

"H-Hey, u-um, Ai-san!"

Ai looked at him like he was an unwanted fly at a picnic.

"U-Um, us meeting here like this… I-It must be f-fate, right?! So, um…"

The boy ran his fingers through his hair. "Y-You w-wanna go o-o-out with me sometime!?" he half-screamed at her, shaking with nervousness. Ai looked away from him.

"Ha, are you kidding me?"

The boy looked like he'd just been stabbed in the gut, but Ai kept on going. "Have you looked in a mirror recently?"

The boy ran away, and Souji could've sworn he saw tears forming in the boy's eyes.

"That was downright cruel," he said without thinking. He then felt a sting on his left cheek as Ai slapped him hard.

"How dare you?! I invite you to enjoy a nice outing with me and you say something like that?! Well, you can forget it—I'm leaving!"

He touched his fingers to his throbbing cheek as he watched her head to the train station. When she was out of eyesight, he sat down on the bench, rubbing his cheek. _So, the train ride back's gonna be awkward. I'll just try to get a seat in the back._

He let out a big yawn as he stretched his arms out. He was surprised to feel something cold and hard on his swollen cheek and found Yukiko holding a can of lemon soda against his face.

"Yukiko-san, what're you—"

Chie, Kanji and Yosuke gathered around him with grim looks on their faces.

"What's going on?" he asked as he took the can. Chie sat down next to him and patted his shoulder.

"Souji-kun, we know all about you. Yukiko told us everything," she said with a look of pity in her eyes. He turned his face towards Yukiko.

"You told them?"

She smiled wryly at him. "Well, actually…"

Yosuke crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Dude, I would've understood if it was Teddie, but you, of all people, to be a sugar daddy to that—"

"Sugar daddy? To Ai-san? No way, she—"

"Senpai, there's no use denyin' it. We saw you get her that necklace," Kanji interrupted. His face had a cold, concerned look on it. "She's usin' you for stuff, and you're just fallin' into her trap."

Souji felt his rage burn within him again, only stronger and more difficult to suppress. "I am not, nor have I ever been, a sugar daddy to anyone. Ai-san is a friend who wanted to go shopping, just like Rise. That's all," he said slowly with gritted teeth. His friends had never seen him this angry before, and their belief that Ai was using him to buy things was becoming doubtful.

"So wait, you mean you're not going around buying that girl stuff? Then, what was Yukiko trying to tell us?" Chie asked. All eyes flew to Yukiko, who immediately started sweating profusely. Her eyes shifted around, her mind completely blank on what to say. She felt that same pressure in her chest from before as she silently begged for an escape, but knew that her luck had run out. Just then, Souji quickly stood up, his hands forming tight fists as his breathing grew rapid.

"All right, I admit it. I… bought her that necklace. I feel the need to buy her things to make her happy," he said without looking at his friends. "I have a problem, and I need help with it. Yukiko-san found out about it, but I made her promise to not tell anyone, especially you guys."

_You owe me one, Girlfriend!_

He exhaled slowly to quell his wrath, but found that it did little to help. His headache was far worse than before, giving Souji the mental image that his friends were bouncing around on his brain like little kids on a trampoline. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw that Yukiko was looking genuinely apologetic to him. Suddenly he felt a number of hands clapping him on the back.

"Way to go, Souji-kun! The first step to recovery is admitting to your problem!" Chie congratulated him. "But, to ensure that you don't buy anyone anymore crazy stuff, we'll be cutting any money you get by three-quarters."

"What?!"

"Don't worry! We'll put it towards getting equipment for when we go into the TV! So whenever you take a job, we're taking most of your pay!"

Yukiko flinched as she caught a deadly glare from her boyfriend. "Um, Chie? Isn't three-fourths a bit much? Why don't we just take two-thirds instead?"

"Yukiko-san, if you give him an inch, he might run a whole mile instead. We can't take that risk!" Yosuke reasoned.

"Oh, I get it. We can't feel any pity for Senpai until he's cured of his problem, right?" Kanji wasn't sure he was up to treating one of the few people he respected like this, but figured that it was for the best.

The four friends agreed to keep Souji's 'problem' a secret from everyone, including the rest of their group. They walked him to the station to wait for the train home while trying to figure out other methods for 'curing' him. He found it to be extremely awkward for his friends to be talking about him like that when Ai was not too far from them, shooting him dirty looks every now and then.

On the train ride home, Souji found himself trying to figure out how long it would take to get that ring he found. _Then again, she put me in a most compromising situation. Is the ring even an issue now?_

His friends walked him all the way home, all the while discussing their plans for tomorrow.

"Oh yeah, testing's next week! Let's make a study group!" Chie cried as they made it to Souji's house. Souji wasn't pleased with having to face his friends after having his 'issue' pinned on him by them, but it's not like he had a choice.

"Man, I can't believe we got midterms already. Where're we gonna meet?" Kanji asked.

"How about Junes? There's that big table we can all sit at, and there's food nearby if we get hungry," Chie said as her thoughts wandered to grilled steaks. Yosuke knew there was no shooting down her request for Junes.

"Okay, we'll meet around ten. I'll reserve a table for us," Yosuke offered. With their plan set, they left Souji, who went inside his house with the intent of going straight to his futon.

"Welcome home, Big Bro!" Nanako greeted with her sweet smile. Souji felt his wrath melt away with her greeting.

"Hey, Nanako-chan. Do we have any aspirin?"

"Yeah, let me go get it. Do you have a headache?" She stood up and ran to the bathroom cabinet. When she came back with the bottle Souji was lying on the couch with his arm over his eyes.

"Yeah, but I'll be fine once I take one of these," he said as he sat up and took the bottle from her. She went to the kitchen and got him a glass of water to help him swallow the little pill.

"Thanks," he said as he took the glass. He handed it back to her and went to his room to rest. Being too tired to spread out his futon, he instead laid down on the loveseat, basking in the quiet of his room.

_Mmm, nice and quiet. Why can't it be like this more often?_

He almost immediately fell into a dreamless sleep, feeling like he had drifted off into blissful rest. About twenty minutes later, his cell phone rang.

_Dammit._

--

On the other end of the phone call, an anxious Yukiko was sitting at the table in her room, fanning herself with one of her battle fans as she counted the rings before Souji answered. A part of her hoped that he didn't pick up, just in case he was still angry at what had happened, but another part of her hoped he did so she could apologize and explain the situation she was in. He answered on the fourth ring.

"Why hello, Girlfriend. Did you have a good day today? Anything interesting you want to tell me?" Souji's voice was saturated with sarcasm, but it was to be expected—the man was still tired, angry, and going through 'temporary insanity' all at the same time.

"Souji-kun, I'm sorry about today," she said as her faced pulled a frown. "I just… did you just call me 'Girlfriend?'"

There was no answer from the other side. Yukiko just shrugged it off and continued. "Anyway, I called to explain everything."

On the other end of the conversation, Souji was trying to calm his newly returned anger so as not to say anymore psychotic things. "Okay, please explain."

As she ran through the events that occurred after school, Souji got up from the couch and walked around his room to keep from falling asleep. When she finished her explanation, he remained silent on his end.

"Um, did I lose you somewhere?"

"No, I just can't believe I didn't get to see you take down someone as big as Kanji."

Yukiko wasn't too pleased that he was hung up on her attack. "But what about when I tried to tell them about us? Doesn't it amaze you that they misunderstood everything?"

"That was just luck. You knocking down Kanji was just epic."

"Souji-kun!"

Souji chuckled to himself when she started yelling. "Alright, alright, I'll stop. Oh, by the way, Ai-san's just a friend."

Yukiko smiled. "I already figured that out, from the way she slapped you. But, I should apologize for letting my anger get the best of me. I was so mad when she forced you to go out with her."

Laughter erupted from the other end of the phone. "What's so funny?"

"Oh nothing. I was just thinking that I would've had a hard time forgiving you if you weren't so cute."

Yukiko nearly dropped her phone as her cheeks began to glow red. "That's—well, I…" She couldn't help but feel happy at his comment. "Th-Thank you. Um, you must be tired, Souji-kun. I'll let you rest now."

"Yeah, I guess I am kinda tired. I'll see you at Junes tomorrow, okay?"

"Uh huh. Oh, Souji-kun?"

"Hmm?"

She opened her mouth to say those three little words, but once again found it difficult.

"Yukiko-san? Is something wrong?"

She shook her head, disappointed in herself. "No, it's nothing. Good night, Souji-kun."

"Okay. G'night."

She closed her phone carefully and set it on the table. She put her elbows on the table and rested her chin on her hands as she sighed.

_Why is it so hard for me to say it? He's right—I have no qualms about knocking over Kanji-kun, so why is this so much harder?_

She thought about it for awhile and decided to take a dip in the hot springs to think about it some more. It wasn't until she got into bed and had fallen asleep that her thoughts finally melted away.


	5. Chapter 5

The next morning, Souji awoke with a stiff neck from sleeping on his loveseat. He sat up and rubbed his neck as he checked his cell phone for the time.

_Oh goodie, a whole hour before the study group, _he thought sleepily. Morning light was creeping through the openings in his curtains while the room was already preheated to an uncomfortable temperature.

_Ungh, am I still in asshole mode? Better be careful of what I say in front of Nanako-chan…_

He got off his makeshift bed and shut off the fan by his door before heading downstairs to the bathroom. Downstairs, Nanako was finishing up breakfast.

"G'morning," she said as she sipped her orange juice. "Are you feeling better, Big Bro?"

"Morning. Yeah, I'm better now," he said as he surveyed the room. "Did your dad leave already?"

Nanako took a bite of her toast before answering. "He left a few minutes before you came down. How come you're in your school uniform? It's Sunday today!"

Souji looked down at himself and saw that his little cousin was right—he had been too tired to brush his teeth let alone change into his sleep clothes last night.

"Oh. I was too tired last night, so I fell asleep like this."

"That's no good! No breakfast for you until you take a bath!"

He headed down the hallway past Nanako's and his uncle's bedrooms to the bathroom, where he stripped down, grabbed his towel, and stuck it on a nearby towel rack before taking a seat on the small stool sitting before the bath faucet. He snatched up the little bucket they used and placed it under the faucet to fill with water. As he waited for the bucket to fill, he let his mind wander to other things.

_Study group today. Why not tomorrow? We have the day off tomorrow, too. Oh well, maybe it'll get everyone's mind off my 'sugar daddy' complex. If that happens, maybe I'll get to keep my money while I'm at it! If I get to keep my money, I can get that ring! Wait, she got me into this mess, do I really need to get it anymore? She still owes me!_

He shut off the faucet before the bucket overflowed and took it in his hands, looking at his reflection in the water.

_Who am I kidding? I know I'm gonna end up getting it._

He dumped the water over his head, but not before realizing it was cold water. Back in the kitchen, Nanako was washing dishes when she heard her cousin scream.

--

_Crap, I forgot to grab clothes before my bath._

Souji picked up his dirty clothes from the floor, wearing only a towel around his waist. He figured that since it was just Nanako, walking around naked shouldn't be too problematic. With his bundle of dirty clothes under his arm, he walked out of the bathroom and headed for the kitchen to request breakfast.

"Hey, Nanako-chan? I'll take my eggs scrambled, okay?" he said as he entered the kitchen. He felt his heart stop when he saw Chie sitting at the table, scarfing down eggs while Nanako was cooking his breakfast.

"Um… good morning?" Chie said as she stared unblinkingly at Souji.

"Good… morning... what brings you here?" He asked, staring back. _Early morning fan service, perhaps? Oh, Chie-chan, you naughty girl…_

"Oh, I uh, came to pick you up for the study group. We're neighbors, after all."

"R-Right…"

Nanako picked up a plate and placed Souji's eggs on it. She turned around with the plate in her hands. "Big Bro! Your breakfast is… um, maybe you should get dressed first?"

He snapped out of his stare and scurried up the stairs, leaving Chie to blush at her eggs.

--

"So, why'd you come pick me up? Normally you go to Yukiko-san's house."

After breakfast, the two walked down the shopping district, their school bags full of study material. Even though he bathed, the summer humidity quickly made him feel grimy.

"Yukiko called this morning saying she can't come until noon. With this being the week before summer vacation, she had to help prepare the inn for a huge drop of customers. Oh, let's go in there!"

Souji held open the door to the bookstore for Chie to walk in. She wandered over to the math practice books while Souji happened upon some dream interpretation books. He recalled the dream he had two days ago and wondered if it held some sort of warning.

_Guns… symbolize anger, aggression, and possible danger. Well then, that came true, what with Ai-san and all. What else… fields… happiness? I'm pissed but happy? Next. _

He tried to recall every little detail in the dream as accurately as possible, curious if it was trying to tell him something important.

_Oh yeah, Yukiko-san was crying… let's see… crying… to see a friend crying means that that friend is in distress. That makes sense, considering all the stress from yesterday. _

Feeling satisfied with the interpretations, he set the book down and went over to the study guide section with Chie, who had about three books in her hands. He peeked over her shoulder and found that Chie, plus study material, did not add up properly.

"Since when do you study?" he asked as he took one of the books from her hands, slightly startling her.

"What? Oh, come on, even I find school work somewhat important!" She pouted, but her façade turned shameful after a moment. "Okay, you got me. Yukiko asked me to pick one up for her."

"I thought something was off." Souji handed her back the book as he scanned the table. "Was there a particular book she wanted?"

"She wanted one for math, so I've narrowed it down to these three. Which one looks good to you?"

With each of the three books, he flipped through and examined the problems inside. "Honestly, I'm not liking any of them, but I guess this one's okay," he said as he handed her the blue one.

"Really? Did you solve some of the problems in your head or something?" she said in awe as she flipped through it.

"What? No, I went with the one that was priced in between the other two. I figured that the cheapest one was too crappy and the most expensive one was overpriced."

Chie cocked her head to the side. "And I thought you were some sort of super genius. Oh well, let's pay for this and get to Junes."

Souji followed her to the cash register, smiling at Chie's comment of being a 'super genius' when Chie groaned.

"Aw, I don't have enough. Hey, Souji-kun? Can you help me out a bit, please?"

He dragged out his wallet. "How much?"

"Um, I need about… twenty-five hundred yen, if you have it."

He gagged. "How much is the book total?"

"About thirty-two hundred."

"Huh, no wonder you need me to fund the team."

Once the book was paid for, the two left for Junes, Souji listening to Chie's repetitive apologies.

"I think Yukiko-san's rubbing off on you. You're starting to apologize almost as much as her," he said as they crossed the street.

"You think so? I guess you're right. By the way, we're not doing so good at fixing your problem—you ended up paying for me in the end."

"You were short on cash, it's not like I was buying you something expensive. Besides, you'll reimburse me, right?"

"Actually, Yukiko's the one that wanted the book, so she'll pay you back."

_Oh she'd better… especially for yesterday!_

--

Once they arrived at Junes, they took the time to bask in the department store's air conditioning before heading up to the food court.

"What was I thinking, studying where there's no air conditioning?"Chie grumbled as they exited the elevator. The thick, humid air almost instantaneously suffocated them as they located Yosuke sitting at one of the large tables talking to a small, blonde boy.

"Sorry we're late," Souji said as he slid into the seat across from Yosuke.

"Finally, I thought everyone ditched!" he said as Chie took a seat on the same bench as him. The blonde boy waved at the newcomers.

"Sensei! Chie-chan! Good morning!" he said cheerfully.

"Morning, Teddie!" Chie said with a wave. The blonde boy flapped his shirt to let air flow through.

"It's so hot, even without my fur!" he sighed. The three recalled him wearing a blue bear suit with a red and white jumpsuit.

"Poor Teddie. Want me to get you a drink?" Chie offered.

."Didn't you blow your last few yen on Yukiko-san's book?" Souji said lazily with his cheek resting against his fist.

"Ah, haha, right. Sorry, Teddie," she apologized while Teddie pulled a face.

"Alright, Ted, just sit over there and be quiet. We got some studying to do."

"But, Yuki-chan and Rise-chan aren't here yet!"

"Oh, Yukiko's coming around noon," Chie said quickly. Yosuke nodded.

"See? There's no way we're holding off studying just to wait for Yukiko-san."

Disappointed, Teddie went to sit at the far side of the bench while the other three pulled out their books to start studying. After a few minutes, Rise and Kanji came out of the elevator and joined them.

"Good morning," she called out to them as she automatically gravitated to the empty spot next to Souji. Kanji proceeded to sit on the other side of Rise.

"Ugh… do we hafta study out here? It's so hot," he dumped his books onto the table, scaring a few of the children around them.

"Well, we're here now. Senpai, I'm stuck on this one problem, can you show me how to do it?" Rise said eagerly as she yanked her math book out of her bag. After about a half an hour, Souji found himself being the tutor for the whole group.

"No, Chie-san, alpha equals—"

"—hey Souji, what's the English word for—"

"—Senpai, I still don't get—"

"—what year did Napoleon—"

"—wait, one at a time!"

"Sensei, what's an endoplasmic reticulum?"

Souji was ready to keel over and die when Yukiko arrived two hours later. With the other smartest person in the group, he now had less questions to answer.

"Sorry I'm late!" she said before taking a seat next to Chie.

"Finally! I think Souji-kun's about to collapse," Chie whispered to her friend as they glanced over to him. He was struggling to explain a chemistry formula to Rise, who was more focused on Souji's person than his lesson, while Kanji had difficulty remembering which formula to use on what problems.

"Looks like I'd better step in," Yukiko whispered back as she stood up and walked behind the juniors.

"Here," she said as she pointed somewhere on Kanji's book. "For this problem, you use pressure times volume, divided by temperature. But make sure to convert it from Celsius to Kelvin…"

Souji straightened up and watched Yukiko as she calmly explained everything to Kanji. Soon Rise scooted closer to Kanji's side to take notes on the problems he had solved under Yukiko's supervision. Chie and Yosuke felt that Souji needed time to breathe and tried to figure some things out for themselves for awhile.

_Thank God,_ Souji thought as he was amazed at how gentle Yukiko was as she tutored them. _Looks like I owe her now._ He excused himself from the table for a moment and ordered some drinks for his friends. Yosuke hesitated to take the drink.

"Hey, he's spending money again. Shouldn't this count as part of his problem?" Yosuke whispered to Chie.

"No, it's only if it's something really expensive and if it's for a girl," Chie whispered back as she took a long drink from her soda. Souji passed a drink to Yukiko, drawing her attention from teaching for a moment.

"Thanks," she said as she took the chilled can. They all decided that a short break was a good idea for the moment.

"Man, being a good student, working part-time, and fighting shadows is hard work," Yosuke yawned.

"Yeah, but Souji-kun and Yukiko are lucky! They're at the top of our class!" Chie sloshed her soda around in her can. "If only we had their brains, this wouldn't be a problem!"

"But, Senpai's from the city, right? Aren't the standards in the city higher than the ones out in the country?" Rise asked Souji as he sat back down at his spot.

"A little bit, maybe. Plus, it's more stressful in the city," he answered as he took a sip from his own soda. "Out here, it's more laid-back, so it's not as hectic."

"So, does that mean that Yukiko-senpai's naturally smart, while Souji-senpai had to work harder to get that smart?" Kanji wondered aloud.

"I wouldn't say that," Yukiko said with a slight smile. "I'm sure that Souji-kun's actually very smart. He is our leader, after all."

With his upper lip resting against his hand, a smile curled beneath Souji's fingers at Yukiko's comment. They talked awhile longer before resuming their study session, and by the time the sun began to set, everyone was burnt out from studying so hard.

"I better pass all my exams with all that studying," Chie groaned as they left Junes.

"Let's all just take tomorrow easy so we don't stress out, okay?" Souji suggested. Teddie was ecstatic.

"I wanna play at Yuki-chan's house!"

"Sorry, Teddie. Our inn's really busy right now, so I can't play," Yukiko regretfully told him.

"My head feels like it's ready to explode," Yosuke said as he clutched his forehead. "Looks like Kanji's feeling the same."

The biggest teenager of them all looked like he was ready to throw up all the knowledge they had crammed into him in that single day.

"Hey, Kanji-kun? You feeling okay?" Rise asked him carefully.

"…Uh huh…" he grunted as his feet scraped the pavement with each step.

"You look like a zombie; it's kinda creeping me out!" Rise said as she retreated to the safety of Souji's side. "Protect me, Senpai!"

Yukiko noticed Souji smiling at Rise, but didn't feel the same warmth she felt when he smiled at her. No rage flared up within her, and she was pleased that she really could trust him.

As they reached the Samegawa River Plain, they all split up in pairs with Chie going with Yukiko, Kanji and Rise heading to the shopping district, and Souji and Yosuke staying by the river for the time being.

"So, you bought Yukiko-san a math book, huh?" Yosuke grinned as he flopped onto the grass near the river. Souji took a seat next to him.

"Technically, Chie-chan did, and that was because Yukiko-san asked her to get it. I'm just waiting to get reimbursed."

"Sure, whatever. And that side-long glance at Yukiko-san was nothing," Yosuke nudged Souji with his elbow. Souji rested his own elbow on his knee as he rested his head against his hand.

"Yosuke, where are you going with this?"

"How slow can you get? Dude, remember you told me that you were interested in her?"

Souji stared deep into the river, looking as calm as ever. "Yeah, but then I got to know her, and it just doesn't feel like we'd get anywhere."

"Oh, then maybe I'll try again for her!"

_Good luck with that, _he laughed in his head.

"Go for it. She'll just turn you down again."

"Damn, you can't tell a guy to go for it and then shoot down his hopes," Yosuke laughed as he punched Souji in the arm.

"Is that a challenge mine ears hear?" Souji asked jokingly as he pushed Yosuke over with his foot. Yosuke rolled over and stood up quickly.

"Bring it! I'll make sure that it doesn't end in a tie this time!"

The two boys brawled right there on the riverbed, not holding back on any attacks. They exchanged blows long after the sun had set.

"Looks like you're able to take hits better. Has Chie-chan been practicing on you lately?" Souji asked in a playfully threatening tone. His right cheek was swollen while some fresh bruises formed on his body.

"You wish. I'm almost as tank-like as Kanji!" Yosuke responded with a grin as he wiped the blood from his nose. "But if there's something I learned from Chie, it's this!"

He swung his right leg straight at Souji's head, but Souji dodged almost easily.

"If she were here, she'd be criticizing that kick!" Souji yelled as he sent a fist crashing into Yosuke's cheek. Yosuke retorted with a fist to Souji's eye, causing him to grab onto Yosuke's shirt and drag him into the river. The two fell into the water, putting an end to their fight. They crawled out of the river, gasping for breath as they allowed themselves to collapse on the soft grass.

"So… that was… a good… stress… reliever…" Yosuke gasped as he flipped onto his back. Souji lay next to him, trying to catch his breath.

"Not bad… you got… better…" he said as he sat up. His right eye was swollen from Yosuke's punch and knew that he was going to have difficulty with exams if it wasn't better by then. Yosuke lifted his shirt to check for any bruises.

"Man, you got me good. Damn, that hurts!" he winced as he gingerly poked at a large bruise on his stomach. Souji found a new pain by his lower ribs forming from when Yosuke landed a swift kick on him.

"Nngh… that better not be a broken rib," Souji joked. He stood up slowly as he felt each of his sore spots twinge with pain. He held out his hand to help his friend up.

"We can't do this often. Last time, someone called the cops on the 'Junes kid' for 'roughing up the new guy,' and well, my parents weren't too happy," Yosuke groaned as he stood up. "Looks like it's time to go home. Mom's gonna kill me for coming home dripping wet!"

Souji laughed as he examined his own soaked clothes. _Nanako-chan's not gonna be happy if she has to do extra housework._ Yosuke got a good look at Souji's swollen face. "Dude, Rise-chan's gonna kill me for messing up your face!"

"That's okay. You'll die smothered by that which you love."

Yosuke folded his arms across his chest in thought. "Well, when you put it that way…"

The two started on their way home, talking about whether or not another person was going to appear on the Midnight Channel anytime soon. Yosuke dropped Souji off at his house before returning to his own.

"Don't forget—Chie, Kanji, Yukiko-san and I got our eyes on you!" Yosuke called as Souji entered his home.

_I know, but tomorrow I'm working where you can't keep a watch on me!_

"Nanako-chan, I'm home!" he announced as he removed his shoes and socks.

"What happened?" Nanako got up from her place at the table and ran over to him. She couldn't take her eyes off of his newly blackened eye.

"It's a guy thing," he said as he tip-toed to the bathroom to avoid leaving wet foot prints. "Could you grab some clothes for me? I gotta get out of these clothes."

"Sure, and I'll prepare a wet rag for your face, too!" She raced upstairs to pick out some of Souji's clothes as he undressed in the bathroom. He examined himself in the mirror and found numerous dark bruises dotting his body.

_Nope, no broken ribs. _He prodded the large bruise on his side and was amazed that Yosuke had managed to sneak that kick in. He had just wriggled out of his pants when there was a knock at the door.

"Big Bro, I've got your clothes," his little cousin called as she left his clothes on the floor.

"Thanks, Nanako-chan," he said as he heard the sounds of her footsteps run back to the family room. As he dried himself off, he heard the doorbell ring. A few seconds later, Nanako called him.

"Big Bro! Some of your friends are here!"

"Tell them I'll be right out!" He called as he dried himself off. Once he got his change of clothes on, he returned to the family room to find Chie and Yukiko sitting at the table with Nanako.

"Whoa, what happened to your eye?" Chie asked as she got up to get a better look. Yukiko and Nanako also stood up to retrieve a wet cloth for his eye.

"It's nothing. Me and Yosuke just needed to let off some steam before exams," he said as he sat on the couch.

"By beating each other up? Wouldn't that just cause more problems for exams?" Chie sat next to him, fighting the temptation of poking his eye. Souji shrugged as Nanako sat on his other side, followed by Yukiko carrying a bowl full of ice water and a handkerchief.

"It's fine, really. You don't need to—"

"It'll take longer to heal if you don't take care of it now," Yukiko said as she soaked her handkerchief in the water. She rung out the excess water and gingerly placed it on his blackened eye.

"…Thanks. Why are you two here, anyway?" He asked as he held the handkerchief in place.

"Chie told me that you helped pay for my practice book, so I wanted to pay you back," Yukiko settled next to Nanako as she answered his question. "I felt bad that you had to spend extra money on me, so we came here."

"I felt bad, too," Chie chimed in. "Even though Yukiko called me before I left the house, I forgot to grab more money. I'm not helping you with your problem at all."

Nanako blinked. "Problem? Big Bro, what kind of problem do you have?"

A wave of panic struck the three teens while the young girl waited for an answer. Souji pressed the wet cloth onto his eye as he sighed.

"It's nothing, Nanako-chan. My friends just feel bad that they rely on me more than they should for money."

The room was silent except for the fan whirring softly in the corner. Chie and Yukiko held their breath as they waited for Nanako's reaction.

"So, how is it your problem?"

"I keep buying them stuff without thinking," he said coolly. Nanako nodded.

"I get it! Big Bro, you're really nice, but try to save money too, okay?"

Souji laughed as his friends exhaled slowly. "I'll do my best. With these two around it'll be no problem at all. Right?"

"Yeah! Don't worry, Nanako-chan! Your Big Bro's in good hands!" Chie flashed Nanako a thumbs up for reassurance.

"We'll do our best to keep him out of trouble," Yukiko put a hand on Nanako's shoulder with a smile, but Nanako simply looked at them both with a confused look.

"Big Bro? Are they both your girlfriends?"

Her words were like arrows piercing the three teenagers' hearts while her curious stare froze their insides.

"Nanako-chan, what makes you ask that?" Yukiko asked with nervous laughter. Chie joined in her awkward laugh.

"What, this guy? Nah, we're just friends!" To make her point, she gave him a playful punch to the ribs—right where Yosuke kicked him. Souji gave a pained yell as he clutched his chest.

"S-Sorry! I didn't think you'd go down that easily!" Chie quickly got up in a panic as she watched her friend breathe heavily to counter the pain.

"Souji-kun, what's wrong?" Yukiko knelt in front of him to get a good look.

"Big Bro, are you okay?" A frightened Nanako asked as she carefully placed her hands on his shoulder.

"It's fine… just a bruise from… Yosuke…" he gasped as the pain started to subside.

"Are you sure you're okay? Let me see it," Yukiko stood up and stepped back to give Souji some room.

"Yukiko! You can't just ask him to take off his shirt like that!" Chie screeched frantically. Souji smirked, despite his pain.

"But Chie-chan, only this morning you saw me naked."

"WHAT?!" Yukiko was at a loss for words as she stared opened mouthed at Chie.

"It's not what you think! It was an accident, and he had a towel!" Chie yelled as she flailed her hands in front of her. "I swear I didn't see anything!"

Souji leaned back on the couch, his hand still guarding his chest. Nanako leaned in to whisper something in his ear.

"Big Bro, I think they both like you… a lot."

He cupped his own hand to her ear and whispered back, "Yeah, I think I see it, too."

By now, both girls were red in the face, and Souji felt it was time to step in. He put the handkerchief on the side of the bowl and stood between them placing a hand on each girl's shoulder.

"Okay, if you two are gonna just stand there with my naked body in your minds, I think it's time to call it a night," he said, sending jolts of embarrassment down the girls' spines. He herded them both to the door and thanked them for visiting as they put their shoes on.

"Good night, ladies," he said as he started to close the door. Yukiko spun around suddenly.

"Wait, I didn't get to pay you—"

The door slammed shut before she could finish. "What? I can't hear you because of the door!" Souji called sarcastically from inside.

"Souji-kun!"

"He really does have a problem with buying girls stuff," Chie sighed. "C'mon, Yukiko, there's no way he'd let you pay him back."

The two girls began their journey to the Amagi Inn, still blushing at the thought of Souji wearing only a towel. A heavy silence enveloped itself around them as they headed north of the river.

"Say, Chie? Do you… like Souji-kun?" Yukiko asked softly. Chie folded her hands behind her head without slowing her pace.

"I guess, I kinda had a little crush on him before," she said as she looked up to the night sky.

"Really?" Yukiko was amazed at how open her friend was about her feelings. _I wonder if I'll ever be as open with my feelings as Chie…_

"Yeah, but I guess I was too vague with my confession. Either way, it felt like he only saw me as a friend."

"Hmm? What do you mean?"

Chie let her hands fall to her sides. "It felt like, like there was already someone else on his mind."

_That someone else… was me?_ "Chie, I'm sorry," she started, but Chie waved it off.

"It's not like it's your fault or anything, and even if it was, I'd be very happy for you."

"Why?"

"Why else? You'd finally have a boyfriend, and one that I know isn't perverted or controlling or something."

Yukiko frowned. "Is it really that bothersome that I don't have a boyfriend?"

"No, but wouldn't you feel more fulfilled if you did?"

"I guess so… I wouldn't know."

They reached the inn, and Yukiko watched Chie until she was out of sight. Even when she couldn't see her friend anymore, she stood by the doorway, deep in thought.

--

After he heard his two friends leave, Souji returned to the couch and picked up the handkerchief he was using before. It was of a plain, pink color, and didn't recall ever seeing one like it around the house.

"Hey, Nanako-chan? Is this your handkerchief?" he asked as he held out the slightly damp cloth.

"Nope. It's Big Sis Yukiko's," she said as she turned her attention back to the television. "By the way, you really need to work on your spending problem."

Souji soaked the delicate cloth back into the ice water before placing it back on his eye. "What do you mean?"

"They came over to pay you back, but you just kicked them out without letting them pay at all."

_Oh yeah… wait, that means I do have a spending problem! What the hell?!_

"Don't worry about it. I'll see them on Tuesday, so they can pay me back then."

"Promise? I don't want you to end up poor!"

"I promise. Now let's get dinner ready."

"Yeah!"

As he pulled out some ingredients from the refrigerator, he realized that the lie he told Nanako about his bad spending habits might actually be true.


	6. Chapter 6

With his eye no longer swollen, Souji set out on the sunny Sunday to find another part-time job. He stood before the bulletin board in front of the meat-lover's restaurant, Souzai Daigaku, in hopes that he could get a job that paid more.

_Daycare assistant… I dunno, I'm still a little achy from yesterday, but it pays more than the other jobs combined._ _Isn't there anything else? _He looked at the amount he would get paid, and decided that it was worth the pain. As he turned to wait at the bus stop, a massive hand clapped him on his shoulder.

"Senpai, you weren't thinkin' about getting' a job, were you?" He turned see Kanji giving him a menacing look.

"Kanji, is there a problem with getting a job?" he asked calmly as he removed the boy's hand from his shoulder.

"You know you have a spending problem. Chie-senpai gave us direct orders to keep you from—"

"From spending money excessively on girls, not getting jobs. She never said anything about not getting a job at all, but about just cutting how much I earn," Souji felt his throat tighten, hoping his words were enough to throw off Kanji's thoughts. The bigger teen thought for a moment before admitting defeat.

"I remember her sayin' the part about cuttin' your pay, but, are you really okay with that, Senpai?"

"If it'll help me, I can't complain."

He looked at Souji with admiration. "Senpai, I'll never understand you, but I'll do what I can to help you."

Souji patted his shoulder. "Thank you, Kanji."

"Don't thank me yet. When you get back, I'm cuttin' your pay," he grinned as he walked away. Souji's head drooped as he dragged his feet to the bus stop, his hands shoved into his pockets. As he rode the bus over the hill to the daycare center, he started trying to think of ways to convince everyone that he wasn't taking jobs, but found that they would never believe him. As he got his first glimpses of the daycare center, he saw a yard full of high-energy children and started to worry that maybe he couldn't keep up with them just yet.

"Are you here about the job?" A woman in an apron with the daycare's name on it approached him.

"Well, actually—"

"I never thought anyone would answer that add," she said as she took his hand and shook it vigorously. "Chasing after children all day is exhausting, especially when they outnumber you by quite a margin! But you look like an energetic guy. What's your name?"

"Souji Seta, but—"

She left briefly and returned with an extra apron with the daycare's name printed on it. "Here, put this on and I'll introduce you."

She walked him over to the children as he tied the apron on himself. "Everyone, please gather around! I have someone new to introduce you to!"

About thirty children surrounded the two as Souji felt their eyes bore into him. "This is Souji-kun, and he'll be here to play with you. Please welcome him!"

Immediately a number of the children grabbed at him, playing an insane game of tug-of-war with his clothes and limbs.

"Play with us, Mister!"

"No, play with us!"

"I saw him first!"

"No, I did!"

_This better get me a bonus!_ Souji found himself trying to run from the mass of children as the daycare supervisor watched nearby.

--

A few hours later, Souji was lying in the middle of the sandbox while some children poured sand on his stomach.

"Hey Mister! We can't bury you if you keep moving!" a little boy said as he dumped more sand on him.

_It's okay, Souji, just think of it like you're at the beach… with strange children throwing sand on you,_ he thought as more sand slid off of him. One little girl took her plastic bucket full of sand and dumped it on his head.

"Pfft! Hey, not the face!" he quickly sat up and shook the sand out of his hair while trying to spit out any that got in his mouth.

"The monster's awake! Run!" One of the children shouted. Some girls screamed excitedly as Souji growled and chased them with his arms out wide.

_Why can't they be more like Nanako-chan? Give her a TV and she's set!_

"I'm gonna get you!" he snarled playfully as he picked up a kid in each arm and spun around. The two kids squealed happily while others gathered around.

"We wanna try, too! Spin us!" They cried. Souji put the two kids down and picked up two new ones and spun them around a few times.

_This actually isn't so bad. It's kinda fun. I bet Nanako-chan would like this._

"Okay, okay, I'm dizzy!" he called out as he set the two kids down. A little boy looked up at him and asked, "Hey Mister, do you have a girlfriend?"

The girl next to him was disgusted with his question. "Don't ask him that, you creep!"

Another little boy ran over. "Let's play tag, Mister!" He slapped Souji on his arm. "You're it!"

Everyone scattered as Souji chased after them again. By the time everyone's parents came to pick them up, Souji's body was almost the equivalent to that of a dead person. With one last look around the yard, he found the same boy who initiated the game of tag.

_Where's this kid's parents? _The daycare supervisor came up to him with a re-energized smile. "How are things, Souji-kun? Has everyone been picked up?"

One look at the little boy answered her question. "Looks like Yuuta-kun's still here. It's always like this, though…" she sighed. The young boy's eyes widened as he hid behind Souji. The silver-haired boy looked up to see a young woman with long, brown hair walk up to them.

"…Hi, Yuu-kun. I'm sorry I'm late…" Souji picked up a hint of discomfort from the woman's voice.

Yuuta, without looking at the woman, coldly said, "…Whatever," and ran off. As he ran away, the young woman took notice of Souji.

"Are you… one of the supervisors?" she asked. Souji nodded.

"I see…" she said with what seemed like a forced smile. "I'm sure Yuu-kun will cause you trouble, but please take care of him…" She spun on her heel and went after the strange boy.

"Yuuta Minami…" the daycare supervisor said softly. Souji looked away from the young woman to look at his boss. "He's full of energy during his play sessions… Maybe too much energy."

She looked at Souji and continued to fill him in on Yuuta's behavior. "But once she arrives, he's a totally different kid… She's his stepmother, so I guess it can't be helped."

_They don't get along?_

"Yuuta-kun's father got remarried to that woman you just met. I heard she's from the city… I really don't know what she's thinking. Perhaps that's why Yuuta-kun is such a troublemaker at school, too… The other day, he…"

Souji listened to the gossip she had to offer as they went inside the building. On his way out, she handed him an envelope filled with money.

"Thank you for all your hard work today," she said with a bow. He didn't open it until he was on the bus to go home.

_Whoa, eight-thousand yen! Not bad for a first day!_ At his stop, he tucked it into his pocket and got off, wondering if he should reward himself with some steak skewers from Souzai Daigaku.

_Nope, you have a spending issue. And if you spend any more, you'll never get that ring._

With a sigh he headed home, praying that he wouldn't run into any of his friends. As he headed up the street towards home, he ran into some familiar faces.

"Yo!" Daisuke Nagase, a tall boy with muddy-brown hair wearing the Yasogami High gym clothes greeted. Next to him was Kou Ichijo, a shorter boy with black hair. Souji knew them through joining the basketball team with Kou. Daisuke, Kou's best friend, would often join them after he finished with soccer practice.

"Hey, what're you two up to?"

"Just came from Aiya's. We sent you a text earlier if you wanted in, but you never texted back," Kou told him.

"You did?" Souji checked his cell phone, and sure enough, a text message inviting him to eat with them was waiting for him.

"Sorry guys," he said as he clicked his phone shut. "I was busy at the daycare center, so I guess I didn't hear it."

"Too bad. You missed out on some good food," Daisuke patted his stomach with glee.

_I want food… I just can't have any because I'm too fat… no wait, lemme try that again. _

"What were you doing at the daycare, anyway?" Kou asked.

_It's fine if I tell them I worked, right?_

"Just trying to get some extra money," he said, almost regretting it.

"Money over studying? You must be pretty confident about exams, huh?" Daisuke's grin quickly disappeared. "We tried studying earlier, but…"

"This guy got hungry, so that's why we ended up eating," Kou lightly tapped the back of his hand onto Daisuke's stomach.

"Heh heh, sorry."

The three talked for a little while longer before separating. The rest of the walk home was quiet and peaceful, until he made it to his street. As Souji drew nearer to his house, he saw a dark figure standing by the front gate.

"So, I heard that you were looking at the bulletin board today," Chie said with a condescending tone.

_Thanks Kanji. I'll make sure to leave you a little present at your doorstep, too._

"Just because I was looking at it doesn't mean I worked or anything," he told her as he leaned his arm against the wall.

"Oh yeah? Then where did you go today?"

"Just went up to the hill. I thought a relaxing time outside would be good for exams."

"And you had to take the bus for that?"

"That hill is pretty far, if you think about it. Don't you trust me, Chie-chan?" He loomed over her, his arm still resting against the wall.

"In battle, yeah, but when it comes to your problem, there's no way," she smiled up at him. "C'mon, Souji-kun, hand over the money!"

"Okay, you win," he withdrew the envelope from his pocket and started counting out the bills. "But I still say that you seeing me naked should compensate for something."

A small tinge of red appeared on her cheeks, but she shook it away. "That worked last time, but it won't work again!"

_Oh well, I tried._

"Here you go," he said as he placed it in her hand, but before she could grasp it, he slipped it back out.

"Hey! What are you—"

"And I'll take this, as payment for Yukiko-san's book yesterday," he said with a smile as he tucked it back in his pocket.

"But that's more than what you paid!"

"Yeah, but y'know, I don't show off my naked self for free, either."

"That's not part of it! Hand it over!"

He chuckled when he saw how furious Chie was getting, but knew he shouldn't push her too far. "Hey Chie-chan, tell me something, will you?"

She stared hard into his eyes before calming down and crossing her arms across her chest. "Fine. What is it?"

"How would you feel if you were seen naked by a friend of the opposite sex?"

"I'd be pretty pissed, of course! And embarrassed, too!"

"So, how do you think I felt?"

"It's not the same!"

"We guys also suffer from the fear of our imperfections being known," he told her. Her scowl melted away as she started to understand something new.

_Please work, please work, please work!_

"But, you looked fine. And, at the campout, you were okay wearing only a bathing suit," she reasoned.

"Would you rather that me and Yosuke saw you in a bathing suit, or in a towel?"

"Ugh, neither!"

He shot her a look that told her she wasn't being fair.

"I guess the bathing suit… Fine! Keep your money! But next time, no excuses!" With that, she ran off towards her own house, leaving a bemused Souji with a handful of money.

_It… worked? Wow, I gotta blackmail people with my nudity more often._ He went inside and greeted his cousin before going up to his room, where he sat on his loveseat to count his money again.

_Yup, eight thousand. But this might be the last whole paycheck I get to keep._ As he took out his wallet to place the money inside, something else fell out of his pocket—it was Yukiko's handkerchief. He picked it up and smiled, wondering when the next time would be when they could be together without any trouble.

--

Tuesday and Wednesday's exams flew by, and Souji felt pretty good so far about his answers. After school those days, his friends rushed home to cram some more for the next day's exams. It wasn't until after school Thursday that he got to spend time with some friends, but not in the way he expected.

At the shoe lockers, Souji was preparing to leave when a group of boys crowded near him. He recognized one of them to be Kou.

"Hey Souji, whatcha doing?" he asked. The boys he came with were curious on how the two knew each other, but one of them pieced it together.

"Oh yeah, you guys are both on the basketball team, right?" he asked. Another student grew a little excited.

"Hey… isn't Ai Ebihara your manager!?"

The first student's interest was now at its peak. "Seriously!? Damn, now I'm jealous!"

"It's not like she comes to practice…" Kou said dully, but that didn't stop the other boys.

"Heh, probably because she's always on the prowl for guys," one of the boys snickered.

The third boy decided to put in his two cents. "Yeah, I heard she's pretty loose. And doesn't she look like she's got a sugar daddy or two?"

Souji felt himself tense up at the boy's words while the boys continued their conversation. "Yeah, she's stacking the paper."

"I wonder how much she gets paid…?"

"Damn, dude, don't hold back or anything!"

The three boys were growing more and more excited as their conversation started to get out of hand.

"You think it's a cheaper market out here in the boonies?"

"I don't know, man, this is premium grade high school tail we're talking about… And with a body like that?"

Kou started grinding his teeth as he endured listening to them rambling on about Ai.

"Seriously, just look at her hips…"

From there, the conversation became so lewd that Souji almost lost his composure.

"Enough!" he yelled above their laughter. They fell silent as Kou joined Souji.

"Cut the crap, guys. You don't even know if that stuff is true," he said in a calmer tone while he tensed the muscles in his arms. The boys decided to leave quickly, leaving Kou and Souji alone.

"Sorry, Souji, I know you and Ai-san are pretty close, right? But, those guys aren't really usually that bad. Don't hold it against 'em, all right?"

He had calmed down considerably, but was still somewhat disturbed by what he had heard. He nodded, and Kou left. As he turned to leave, he heard footsteps behind him and found Ai come from behind the other side of the lockers, looking like she was about to cry.

"…Did you hear them?" he asked as he softened his eyes.

"They were practically yelling," she said as she blinked back some tears. "It's not like… that kinda stuff really bothers me. I expect it."

It was getting harder for her to hold back her tears. "They don't even know me. Why should I care what they think…?" She sniffled. "I'm fine… But, thanks."

Ai wiped away her tears and blushed slightly. "I'm gonna head home… and… you're gonna walk with me," she said in a shy but commanding voice. Souji was surprised at her new tone, but felt obligated to take her home.

--

When the final bell rang the next day, Yosuke yawned heavily as he packed his school bag. "Man, are the exams over yet? How much longer until summer vacation?!"

"Less than a week, but it's taking forever," Chie slumped over her desk, drained from all the late-night cramming she had done the previous night.

"Come on, guys, just one more day," Yukiko tried to cheer her friends up, but all they did was groan.

"Some of us aren't gifted with studying like you and Souji, Yukiko-san," Yosuke reminded her as he got up from his desk. "I'm going home to sleep so I can pull an all-nighter."

"Since when do you pull all-nighters?" Chie asked with a quizzical look.

"Since I started sleeping during the day and couldn't sleep at night. This whole study thing's throwing off my sleep cycle!" And with that, he left the room.

"Wanna come over and study, Chie?" Yukiko offered.

"Yeah, I could use some extra help," she sighed. "We'll see ya later, Souji-kun."

Souji waved at them and started packing his school bag when he remembered that he still hadn't returned Yukiko's handkerchief yet. As he stormed down the stairs, he reached for the pink cloth in his pocket when Ai caught him by the arm and led him up to the roof. She let him go and took a few steps away from him, her eyes down to the ground.

"H-Hey, um…" She seemed to be fumbling around for the right words, but Souji waited patiently as he gripped Yukiko's handkerchief in his pocket.

"Th-Thank you for that, last time…" Her voice had a forced sort of feel to it.

"You're welcome," he said calmly. She turned to look at him properly.

"I was… you know, happy," she said as her face gained a red hue. She slowly came toward him, her legs feeling wobbly. "I'm… I'm in a weird mood…"

_Wait, that look on her face, the embarrassed look, the weird mood… uh oh, I did something I shouldn't have done,_ Souji found himself anticipating what Ai was about to say.

"Every time I think about what happened, I can feel my heart beat faster, and I hardly slept last night…" She placed her hands over her heart. "Wh-What should I do…?" She looked at him with pained eyes.

_Don't say it… don't say what I think you're gonna say!_

"I… I think…" She took a few breaths before finishing her thoughts. "I think… I'm in love."

_Okay, just let her down easily,_ Souji said to himself as he tightened his grip on the handkerchief.

"It's funny, isn't it? Like… why now? I just keep thinking back to yesterday…"

Souji felt he should stop her as soon as possible. "Look, Ai-san, I—"

"And about Kou-kun…"

He felt himself shatter as she said Kou's name. _Kou? But, I was the one who stopped them in the first place… what the hell?_

"D-Do you know if he has a girlfriend? Do you think maybe I'm his type? O-Or do you think he hates… people like me?"

_What the hell, I should be happy that it's not me she likes. If Yukiko heard your thoughts, she'd be flaming you so bad that you wouldn't have ashes left to stick in an urn!_

"Have a little confidence," he said, and a glimmer of hope appeared in her eyes.

"Y-You're right!" she agreed as she tossed her hair. "I-I'm not used to things like this…"

Her expression changed from hopeful to bashful again. "You're the only one I can turn to…"

Souji found himself staring into a pair of pleading eyes.

"C'mon, please… You'll help me, right? All I need you to do is… ask him what's his type. That's it."

_As long as you leave me alone afterward, I'm down with it._

"No problem."

She sighed with relief. "Thank goodness… Um, you don't have to do it today or anything, but… p-please…"

She turned away from him again, and he took it as a sign to leave her be. As he headed back down the stairs, he ran into Kou on the second floor hallway.

"Hey, how're the exams going for ya?" Kou asked with a grin.

"Not bad. Actually, I was wondering something just now… what kind of girls do you like?"

Kou shot him an odd look. "What's up with that?"

"Just, you know, curious, is all." _C'mon, gimme the goods and there might be a hot Ai in it for you._

"I guess… nice girls."

Souji tilted his head. "Nice girls? That's it?"

"Yeah, is that a problem?"

Souji wasn't sure if Ai would be happy with that answer. "No, it's fine. It's just kind of a broad answer, is all. See you tomorrow."

"See ya," he said, and they parted ways. On the way to the shoe lockers, Souji decided that he would wait until tomorrow to tell Ai. He felt that she already had too much going on with her, and that he also needed some time away from her as well.

_I miss Girlfriend,_ he thought as he held Yukiko's handkerchief briefly before putting his normal shoes on.

--

After school on Saturday, Souji didn't get to tell Ai about Kou's type of girl. Instead, he and his friends decided to celebrate the end of their finals at Junes and discuss the police's new suspect in the murder cases.

"I'm kinda bummed," Chie sighed. "Not just because exams are over, but… the whole thing with the police finding a suspect."

All around the circular table, her friends silently agreed. "I mean, we believed that only we could solve this case. And now…"

She slumped into her chair with disappointment while Yosuke kept the conversation going. "Well, we still don't know yet. They haven't made an arrest."

"So… we gotta sit on our thumbs." Everyone's head sunk into their chests at Kanji's words. Disheartened by the lack of events, they had no choice but to sit tight and wait until they get any wind of the suspect. As they sat quietly, a familiar voice floated from nearby.

"For crying out loud… it's nice to have a suspect, but where the hell is he?"

They all looked up and saw Souji's uncle's partner, Tohru Adachi, moseying about the food court. They strained their ears to try to hear more. "We're at the end of our rope here…"

Adachi then noticed the group of teenagers watching him. "Y-You guys?! D-Did you hear what I said?" His calm appearance broke out into a panicked state as he laughed nervously.

"This case is as good as solved!" he said, his voice now taking a heroic tone. His pounded his fist into his chest. "Don't worry, kids. It's only a matter of time before we bring in the suspect."

_It's no mystery why Uncle uses him mainly for coffee runs,_ Souji thought as he watched the odd detective continue to reassure them.

"I mean, the guy's kidnapping people at random and slaughtering them! We won't rest until we bring him to justice!"

The teens were so uncomfortable with his speech that they couldn't say anything to respond to him. He let out another bout of nervous laughter. "I-I gotta get going," he said quickly as he briskly walked away.

"Now I'm REALLY worried…" Yosuke said once he was out of sight. "On the other hand… if the police have a search warrant out for the guy, we should stay out of it."

The silence hung in the air as thick as the humidity, and Rise decided to break it by changing the subject. She asked about a chemical formula she had seen on her exams.

"What's HCHO?" she asked, deliberately looking at Souji.

"Formaldehyde," he answered, seeing that the question was directed at him even without her looking at him.

"Oh, I see. I chose acetic acid… duh, of course it couldn't have been vinegar. Hey, you had that question too, right, Kanji?"

"Shut up," he said gruffly. "And don't call me by my first name." Rise wasn't fazed by his attitude and instead decided to touch one of his nerves.

"Wow, kinda harsh, aren't you? I heard you got a nosebleed when you were around our senpai."

As threatening as he looked, her statement hit him hard enough to worry him. "H-Hey! Who the hell blabbed about that?!"

"A-Anyways!" Chie interrupted quickly. "Rise-chan, why don't you ask Yukiko to help you study?"

Rise tilted her head at her. "Huh? I guess, but wouldn't you rather ask a senpai of the opposite sex?" She looked to Souji on her right with saddened eyes. "Senpai… I'm not a nuisance to you, am I?"

_Giving an answer could lead to doom. Don't… say… anything._

"Damn…" Chie was somewhat disturbed with how straightforward the younger girl was. "This girl's dangerous…!"

Rise was all smiles with Chie's reaction while everyone else shared a mutual feeling of trepidation.

"L-Let's change the subject. Hey, any idea on how Teddie's doing?" Chie asked Yosuke.

"Oh yeah, I forgot to mention it to you. Check this out," he said as he pointed somewhere behind him. They saw a blue bear in a red and white jumpsuit passing out balloons to the children around him. The bear waved merrily at them and returned to the children.

"I let him stay at my place. In return, he's now our official mascot," Yosuke winked.

"Ah, so he's hiding in plain sight. Reverse psychology, huh?" Kanji said smartly. "Man… he looks like one happy bear…"

"He kept saying that he didn't wanna go back, so I made him a deal. Now, since I've got nothing better to do… I'm gonna go bug him."

He rose to his feet, closely followed by the others.

"C-Can I… feel his soft fur…?" Souji heard Kanji ask innocently. For the remainder of the day, they messed around with Teddie, their minds completely taken off of who the suspect could be.

That night, Souji began the mindless task of making envelopes, earning only three thousand yen at a time. As long as his friends never found out about him doing this job, he was sure he could buy Yukiko's present by the time he leaves Inaba next spring.

--

The next day, the Amagi Inn was nearing their eleventh hour in preparations for their plethora of guests during summer vacation. Even though it was Sunday, Yukiko was running around the massive inn trying to do what she can to help it run smoothly. The second she finished filling orders over the phone, she was up and running to the kitchen to organize the week's menus with the head chef. Once that task was done, she ran back to the front desk and organized the reservations while tending to incoming customers at the same time. By early afternoon, she was sent to sweep the entrance before being allowed to relax the rest of the day.

_I wonder if Souji-kun's busy right now,_ she wondered as she rested her chin on the broom handle. A light breeze played with her pink kimono, allowing a little bit of relief from the sweltering heat. She tucked a few strands of her hair behind her ears as she smiled at the thought of spending the rest of her Sunday with him.

"Thinking about that rumored boyfriend, Yuki-chan?"

Yukiko dropped the broom as she jumped away in surprise. A middle-aged woman in a light blue kimono was smiling warmly at her.

"K-Kasai-san! Wh-What makes you think that?" Try as she might, she couldn't stop the all too familiar red glow from spreading around her cheeks.

"Oh, Yuki-chan, you're terrible at hiding things. When you came home with that friend of yours, I saw you kiss him!" she whispered excitedly. Yukiko bit her lip as she accepted that she was caught.

"Please, tell me you didn't tell anybody," she pleaded, but Kasai only laughed.

"Don't worry, I'm the only one who saw. I haven't told anybody… yet."

"Kasai-san, please don't say anything. I don't want to make a big deal out of it," she said as she picked up the broom and resumed sweeping. "Souji-kun's doing his best to keep it a secret, too."

"He is, is he? Looks like you've got yourself a good boyfriend! I'm so proud of you!" she wrapped her arms around her like a big sister.

"Thank you, but… I don't deserve it!" Yukiko lightly pushed her away.

"Why? Did something happen?" The older woman's eyes filled with pity as she watched Yukiko fidget around with the broom. Yukiko explained what had happened when she was cornered into telling the truth about their relationship, and how Souji ended up with his 'spending problem' after the misunderstanding.

"Hmm, sounds like he could use a protective charm against bad luck," Kasai muttered once Yukiko finished her story.

"Do you think it will help?"

The other woman patted her head. "I'm sure it'll help. If you go now, the small store at the shrine should still be open. Go find him the best charm there is!"

"But, I haven't finished cleaning yet," Yukiko said, but Kasai took the broom from her.

"I'll finish this for you. It's your last job for today, right? Don't worry, just go and get him that charm before the holiday starts, okay?"

"Kasai-san… Thank you so much!" Yukiko cried as she ran up to her room to change out of her kimono. She thanked her again with a big hug on her way out the door.

"That sweet girl… no wonder she held off on having a boyfriend for so long—they end up having to go through such trials just being with her," Kasai laughed to herself. "But if it's him, I'm sure he's having fun, too."

--

That same sunny afternoon, Souji found himself accompanying Chie and Yosuke to Shiroku Store to buy some supplies for future trips into the TV world. They figured that with summer vacation right around the corner, they'll be spending a lot of time fighting shadows in there.

"We got some new items in stock," the squat old lady at the counter greeted as they entered the store.

"Hey Yosuke, how about this?" Chie asked as she grabbed something from a nearby shelf. Yosuke took the product from her hands and examined the label.

"Looks like it's good for recovering stamina," he said after turning it over in his hands. He handed the product over to Souji, who agreed that it was better than the previous items they had used before.

"Ooh, look at this! We'll definitely need a few of these!" Chie started grabbing numerous items off of the shelf, leaving Souji and Yosuke to try to figure out how much it was going to cost.

"You brought enough money, right?" Yosuke asked him.

"At the rate she's going… I don't think so."

--

"This is our finest charm, guaranteed to ward off any negative forces that may come your way."

"Perfect! I'll take it!"

Yukiko was at Tatsuhime Shrine buying the best protection charm she could find for Souji. The old man that took care of the shrine handed her the small, red pouch as she handed over some money.

"I don't mean to pry, but why do you need such a powerful charm?" the old man asked.

"Oh, it's not for me. I have a friend who's run into so much bad luck recently that… well…" her voice trailed off as she thought about all the trouble she had caused him. The old man took her hand in his two wrinkly ones.

"I'm sure that your friend will be just fine once you give this to them," he smiled. "With a friend like you, they're lucky to be alive."

Yukiko's poignant expression brightened at the old man's kind words. "Thank you. I'll do my best to live up to those words." Clutching the charm tightly to her chest, she ran back to the inn, where she found that Kasai had finished sweeping the entrance. When she returned to her room, she sat at the small table in the middle of her room and admired the beautiful charm. With her free hand, she dialed Souji's number.

--

A dejected Souji trailed behind Chie and Yosuke as they left the store, each person carrying two bags each. The three walked a few stores down to Souzai Daigaku to grab something to eat.

"Aw, don't worry, Souji-kun, I'll pay for you," Chie said as they set their bags down. Souji sat in the chair as he opened his wallet, becoming more depressed at how much emptier it was compared to just a few moments ago. He let his face fall forward onto the table, his figure completely disappearing behind the cloud of plastic bags.

"Why, thank you, Mistress. Will there be anything else I can assist you in?" he asked, sounding like a sarcastic butler, but she didn't hear him because she was busy placing an order.

"You think this was too much?" Yosuke asked Chie as she ordered something for Souji.

"This is only the beginning. We have to make sure we can help him through this, or else he'll just go for any pretty girl and buy them anything they want," she said after she placed her orders.

"Any pretty girl, huh? Is that why he hasn't bought you anything yet?"

Without lifting his head, Souji heard the sound of a teenage boy falling to the ground while squeaking in pain.

_Ooh, deathblow. Mistress is enjoying a rousing game of Kick the Puppy._

As he listened to them squabble, he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket.

"Hello?" he said in a gloomy tone.

"Hello, Souji-kun. You don't sound so good, is everything alright?" Yukiko asked.

"Hey, haven't heard from you in awhile," he peeked over the plastic bags to check on his friends, who were still bickering over Yosuke's foolish words. "What's up?"

"I can barely hear you, can you speak up?"

"Not really," he took his phone and stuck it in front of his face as he talked. "I'm out with Yosuke and Chie-chan, and they're having a lovers' quarrel again."

"Another one? What's it about this time?"

"Yosuke said something stupid again, earning him a good kick to his kiwis," Souji whispered. At the other end, Yukiko was unsuccessfully trying to hold in her laughter. As he smiled at her over the phone, he took another look at his friends and saw that their food was being placed on some trays. "Listen, I can't talk much longer, so…"

Yukiko settled down enough to finish their conversation. "Aw, okay. Bye!"

"Bye."

He put his cell phone back in his pocket right as Chie came over with one of the trays.

"Here ya go, paid for by me!" Chie said as she passed him some steak croquettes. He looked over to Yosuke who had a bit of a limp as he tried to carry his own tray over to the table. Souji moved the plastic bags to the floor to give them more eating room, wondering if Yukiko was trying to make plans with him.

--

Back at the inn, Yukiko stood up from her table and walked around her room.

_Okay, you can do this,_ she willed herself as she lightly slapped her cheeks to psych herself out.

_I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I…_

"…I love you…" she whispered, her heart pounding as she forced those words out. Her hand flew to her mouth, her fingers brushing her lips as she reveled in the satisfaction of being able to at least say it out loud. She sat back down at her table and picked up the shrine charm, growing excited in the realization that she'll be able to give it to him soon.

_For sure, the next time we get some time together, I'll be able to say it. _She smiled as she lay down on the floor. She began to daydream on what it would be like when she gave him the charm until she heard her mother at her door calling her for her assistance. With a heavy sigh, she stood up and let her in to help her change into her kimono.

"I know you must be tired, but we're short one staff member tonight," her mother explained as she wrapped her in the large belt.

"It's all right, Mother. I don't mind helping out."

"That's good to hear. So, where did you go on such short notice?"

Yukiko secretly tucked the charm into her sleeve. "Oh, nowhere. I just needed to help a friend, that's all."

"Was it Chie-chan?"

"No, it was someone else."

"Were you able to help them?"

She felt inside her sleeve and held the charm. "I hope so."

When her mother finished tying her belt, she left to tend to more business in another part of the inn.

"Go help serve dinner. I have to reorganize this week's reservations," her mother instructed as she hurried down the hall. Yukiko went to the opposite side of the hall where the elevator was and rode it down to the bottom floor, all the while repeating in her mind her daydream from earlier.

_Souji-kun… I love you… _


	7. Chapter 7

On Monday morning, Souji awoke to the sound of rain. As much as he liked the sound, it thickened the humidity and trapped even more heat.

_Shift into asshole mode. No wait, Nanako-chan's downstairs, so maybe later._

He got up and squatted in front of his fan, trying to cool himself off before changing into his uniform. By the time he went downstairs for breakfast, his uncle had already left for work and Nanako was finished eating.

"Uncle already left, huh?" he asked as he poured some cereal into a bowl.

"Yeah, he's got a lot of stuff to do," his cousin said as she passed him the milk.

"Did you get to see him this morning?"

"He left before I saw him."

"I see," Souji dowsed his cereal with milk and ate a spoonful, savoring the cool sensation from the cold milk. When he finished with breakfast, he washed his bowl and returned to his room to pick up his school bag. When he came back down, Nanako was holding out an umbrella for him.

"Let's go together!" she said happily. The two opened their umbrellas and walked to the Samegawa River Plain, where Nanako took another route to her school. As he turned to head towards Yasogami High, a blur of red caught up to him.

"Good morning!" Yukiko smiled as she regained control of her red umbrella.

"Long time no see. How've you been?" he returned her smile. He took notice of a new sort of glow to her.

"I've been okay. I heard that Chie took you shopping for supplies and made you pay quite a bit."

Souji thought about how much lighter his wallet was now. When she saw how morose he became, she quickly changed the topic.

"Have you seen the weather report? This rain's going to lift in the afternoon, but they said it's going to rain all day tomorrow. Wouldn't it be a good idea to check the Midnight Channel… just in case? The culprit is already wanted by the police, but he's someone the police can't handle to begin with."

Souji soon forgot about his wallet and nodded. "Let's check it out."

Yukiko nodded back. "Let's let everyone else know too, okay?" She fought back the urge to hold his hand, but found that it wouldn't matter anyway because both of them had their hands full with umbrellas and school bags.

"So, how's the inn?" he asked suddenly. Yukiko snapped away from her thoughts to answer.

"Oh, it's pretty busy, especially since last night one of the maids called in sick."

"A summer cold? Don't catch one too, okay? It'll be hard for me to see you without people thinking we're together."

"Um, about that…"

On the rest of the way to school, Yukiko explained how one of the maids found out about them.

"Kasai-san saw us?"

"Yes, but she said she wouldn't tell anyone. It seems she's kept her word, because even my mother hasn't asked about it."

"What if she's just not saying anything?" They neared the school gate where they saw Chie waiting for them. They stopped walked just at the bottom of the hill to finish their conversation.

"She would have asked. Back when everyone thought I was learning to cook for 'a boy I liked,' everyone caught wind of it and it became a huge mess. If Kasai-san said anything, it would've been an even bigger commotion," she said in a hushed tone.

"So, if your father heard about it, would he hunt me down?" he asked, not even sure if he was joking or not.

"Maybe, but if he already did hear about it, he's doing a good job of keeping quiet."

"Hey! Hurry up! Class is starting soon!" Chie called to them from the front gate. They waved to her to indicate that they would be there soon.

"Oh, Souji-kun, are you free—," Yukiko started to say but was cut off by the bell ringing.

"Crap, we're late. C'mon, Yukiko-san!" Souji hooked his bag onto his umbrella handle and grabbed Yukiko's bag-carrying hand with his free one. He dragged her up the hill, gripping her hand tightly. Even if she couldn't finish her question, she was still happy that she got to hold his hand after a long while.

--

"Whoo-hoo! Highest score of our class!"

"Awesome, dude!"

"Congratulations!"

After school, Souji's friends congratulated him for acquiring top marks on their exams.

"And congratulations to Yukiko, for getting second!"

"Nice one, Yukiko-san!"

"Congratulations, Yukiko-san," Souji said, holding himself back from kissing her as a congratulatory present.

"Let's celebrate with some steak!" Chie pumped a fist in the air. "Grilled steak on Yosuke!"

"Hell no! Quit making everyone pay for you!"

The four headed downstairs to the shoe lockers where Souji saw an anxious Ai standing by the shoe lockers. She locked eyes with him, and he felt like she was having meltdown. He turned back to his friends, who were already done changing their shoes and were waiting for him.

"Um, I'll have to take a rain check on that steak. You go on without me," he told them.

"What? But it's steak! On Yosuke!" Chie whined.

"What's up? Got something important to do?" Yosuke asked.

"Yeah, I just remembered I gotta help a friend out. Sorry." He gave Yukiko an apologetic look before he headed up the stairs.

"I wonder what that was about." Chie said as she followed Souji with her eyes. Yosuke was secretly thanking him for running off—it meant one less steak to buy.

"Who knows? How about we skip steak for today and wait till later?" Yosuke suggested, hoping that Chie would agree.

"Yeah, but I still wanna celebrate Yukiko placing second! Let's get some ice cream!" Chie shoved Yosuke out the door while Yukiko remained rooted to the floor. She looked to the stairs that Souji had just gone up and saw Ai ascend them as she pocketed her cell phone.

"Yukiko! Ice cream on Yosuke! We can't celebrate without you!" Chie shouted back to her. With a final glance over her shoulder, she followed them down the hill to Junes.

--

Souji sat near one of the solar panels on the roof, snapping his phone shut. He knew that directly talking to Ai would only drum up trouble with his friends, so he decided to send her a text informing her to meet him on the roof. Not surprisingly, he only had to wait about a minute before she appeared.

"Hey," he said to her with a wave, but she passed him and stood by the chain link fence, staring distantly at the surrounding mountains. Souji lowered his hand and sat waiting until she was ready to talk. After a few more moments she spun around, her hair flying before falling around her shoulders as she nervously spoke to Souji.

"S-So, did you ask him… what kind of girl he likes?" She asked in a meek voice. He saw the worry in her eyes.

"He said he likes nice girls."

"… 'Nice'?" The smallness in her voice dissipated as she grew beside herself with the answer. "He didn't say anything about being cute? Not even like, 'a beautiful woman' or anything like that?"

Souji knew that even if he tried to say something to her, she wouldn't listen. All he could do was watch as she turned away from him, desperate to hear the answer she wanted.

"B-But, every guy wants to be with a pretty girl, right? It's the good-looking girls who find love, isn't it!?"

When he didn't answer, she turned back to him, her eyes no longer desperate and her voice less panicked. "Forget this, I'm tired of beating around the bush. Just go ask him if he's got a crush on anyone."

_Heck no, I already asked what type he likes, why don't you go ask him yourself?_

As if she read his mind, her eyes became wild as she screeched at him. "What are you waiting for!? Go!"

He ran to the exit, but slowed down his pace once he was inside the building. He contemplated how he was going to ask Kou who his crush was on when he ran into him outside the boy's restroom on the second floor.

"Oh, hey Souji," he said hurriedly. "Man, I've gotta piss like a racehorse."

He was about to enter the restroom when Souji stopped him.

"Hold on a sec! I gotta ask you something!" _This is gonna be weird…_

"What? Can't it wait?!" Kou crossed his arms over his chest, squeezing against his body to gain control of his bladder.

"No, it can't. Is there anyone you like right now?"

Kou forgot about his bladder as his mind registered Souji's question. "Huh? You wanna know who I like!? Er, this is awkward…"

_The longer you hesitate, the longer you're keeping yourself from taking a tinkle…_

"Well, umm…" Kou started to tap his finger on his arm while he ground his foot into the floor.

"The sooner you tell me, the sooner you pee," Souji said in a sing-song voice. It seemed like it was enough to break Kou.

"A-Alright, but I'm only telling you this because I trust you, man! Don't tell her! In fact, don't tell anybody!"

"I won't." _Sorry, got one person to tell._

"Ch… Chie-san." He whispered, but Souji didn't hear him clearly.

"Chie-san, dammit! Are you happy now!?" He lashed out. "And while I'm at it, let me tell you, I'm goddamn jealous that you sit next to her in class, you lucky bastard!"

_Wow… Ai-san is not gonna like this answer._

"See ya later! I've really gotta go!" Kou said as he ran into the bathroom. As he disappeared through the doorway, Souji heard heavy footsteps run up to the rooftop.

_Oh, she overheard. That saves me the time of telling her. Wait, why'd she run back upstairs? Don't tell me…_

Souji made a mad dash up the stairs to the roof. To his horror, he found Ai standing on the opposite side of the chain link fence, looking ready to jump.

"Ai-san!" he shouted as he ran over to her.

"Don't come any closer!" she screamed at him with tears streaming down her face.

"Ai-san…" he slowed his run to a stop.

"Chie, as in Chie Satonaka, right? That frumpy girl!? I… I got beat out by THAT? I'm a hundred times better-looking!"

She wiped away her tears as she sobbed violently. Souji was afraid that if she sobbed any harder, she would surely lose her balance and plunge down to the concrete below.

"Ai-san, please. Don't do this—"

"Guys like pretty girls, don't they!?" She screamed at him, her voice cracking as she raised her voice. "I'm pretty now! And I had to work hard to become this way!"

She gripped the fence behind her with hands wet from her tears as she steadied herself on the ledge. "But, if I can't be loved, then… Then what's the point!?"

Souji was deathly afraid that at any second she was going to jump. "Ai-san, please try to calm down. Come back here and I'll listen to what you have to say," he said gently. She started sobbing again as she wiped more tears from her face. She slowly turned around without letting go of the fence and climbed back over. Souji supported her as he walked her shaking figure away from the ledge over to the exit. For a long while, she stood there sobbing while he took a seat nearby. When she calmed down enough, she opened up to him.

"I… I used to be fat and clumsy… My family was poor, and everyone at school bullied me all the time," she said without looking at Souji. "They used to surround me and say I was gross, or they called me names like 'Piggy-hara'…"

Tears began to roll down her cheeks again, but she didn't wipe them away. "The boy I had a crush on even told me not to look at him, because I'd 'give him my germs.'" She pulled out her handkerchief from her pocket and wiped away her tears. "Those awful memories still haunt me in my nightmares…"

Souji didn't know what to say—he had never been teased and was always admired by his classmates, so he had no way of understanding how painful Ai's childhood was. When Ai managed to stop her tears, she turned to look at him and continued her story.

"About the time I entered middle school, my family came into their money. Everyone got so jealous of us that we ran away… and moved here." Her voice became stronger. "I knew this was my chance to start over… it was time to show them all… I dieted, got into shape, and read every fashion or women's magazine I could get my hands on. I studied them like they were textbooks and learned all the secrets—everything from attracting guys to smiling better.

"But…" the strength in her voice waned as she gave a pitiful laugh. "Looks like… it was all for nothing. I couldn't be loved unless I became pretty, and now that I am, I still can't have it. I guess I'm doomed. I'll never be loved, will I? It's not like I have any other redeeming qualities…" She allowed herself to break down again, but this time, Souji had something to say.

"He just doesn't know you, and even if it doesn't work out, you're still young. You've got plenty of time to meet lots of guys," he said in a soothing voice.

"You're… so nice to me," she said as guilt crept into her from all the times she bossed him around. "I should've fallen in love with you…"

They stared at each other in silence until Ai laughed again. "Just kidding…"

_Somehow, I don't think you were, but I'll let that slide._

"Hey, why don't you and I just go out?" she asked, hope lighting up her face.

_Go out? What, another shopping trip? Well, she's going through a difficult time, so I'll just help her get over it with some shopping._ "Yeah, we could do that," he said as he stood up. "Shall we go to Okina City?"

"You don't mind?" Ai's voice was no longer dominating, but more guilt-ridden for asking so much of him.

"Sure. There's still daylight, so why not?"

She wiped her eyes with her soggy handkerchief. "Thank you… I don't know what would've happened if you weren't here."

Souji listened to her soft sobs as they left the school campus. By the time they reached the station, Ai had finally calmed down and was looking forward to a day of shopping with Souji. As for him, all he had on his mind was finding out the price of that ring he saw last time he was in Okina City with Ai.

--

Later that night, Yukiko had just taken her bath and was up on a landing on the roof where the maids hang laundry out to dry. The wind was stronger up there, tugging playfully at her hair and yukata as she admired the view over the town. She loved to go up there and just let her mind wander, something that she hardly got to do nowadays because of school, work, and fighting shadows. Now that she has the time, her thoughts were on one thing—a certain silver-haired boy who she can't get any time with.

_It would've been nice if he could've joined us for ice cream,_ she thought as she rested her hands on the wooden railing. _But, if he's helping out a friend, I understand. Still, I wish he wasn't so busy all the time..._

Her cell phone rang, and her face lit up when she saw who the caller was. "Hey, Boyfriend," she said, a giggle escaping after she said her pet name for him.

"Boyfriend? I'm rubbing off on you, Girlfriend," Souji grinned into the phone. He had just gotten home and was sitting on his loveseat, tired from his outing with Ai.

"Indeed you are. So, how's your friend? Were you able to help them?" A slightly heavier breeze blew at her, and she turned her back to it to hear Souji better.

"I think so. She looked a lot better after I took her shopping."

"Shopping? Don't you get tired of being dragged around for that?"

"Well, she was under a lot of stress, so I thought just taking her around Okina City would do her some good."

"That's nice of you. Who was it?"

"Do you remember Ai Ebihara?"

She cracked a painful smile. _Her? But, does that mean she's spent more time with him than I have? _"I remember. She's the pretty one, right?"

"I guess, but she's not my type."

Yukiko bit her lip as she regretted losing that small bit of faith in Souji. "Do you mean that?"

"To her, I'm just a slave. There's nothing between us. And even if she did like me, it's one-sided."

"Then, why do you keep trying to help her?"

"I guess, because no one else wants to."

As he said this, Yukiko reflected on how Souji was the only one she could talk to about wanting to leave Inaba. She knew that if she told Chie, she would only tell her to stay, and her parents would surely object.

_He really is a kind person. How am I ever going to be a woman worthy of him?_

"Yukiko-san? Are you still there?"

Yukiko's eyes slid back into focus as she returned from her thoughts. "Yes, I'm sorry! I zoned out a little there."

"It's fine. Hey, you were trying to ask me something this morning. What was it?"

_He remembered?_ "Um, yeah… I was just wondering… are you free on Saturday? There's something I want to give you."

"Really? What is it?"

"You'll see," she pulled the shrine charm out from her sleeve and gazed at it lovingly.

"Yeah? Okay then, Saturday it is."

"I can't wait. Well, I'd better go now. Just one more day of school! Good night, Boyfriend," she giggled again.

"G'night, Girlfriend. Oh wait, I forgot—"

Yukiko hung up before catching that last part. She held the charm close to her heart as she looked up to the cloudy sky.

"Just a few days until Saturday. I'd better start practicing again." She slowly made her way to the stairs, playing three little words in her head all the way to her room.

--

Souji sat staring at his phone, not too pleased that he forgot about Yukiko's handkerchief again. He pulled it out from his pocket and stared at it, longing for its owner.

"For a tiny ring, it sure is costly. Okay, time to find late-night jobs and convince everyone that I'm flat out broke!"

Before going to bed, he sat at the table in front of the loveseat and diligently crafted envelopes, keeping his mind set on the upcoming Saturday.

--

"You're in a good mood. How can you be so happy when it's this hot and sticky?"

Yukiko was humming happily to herself as Chie came to pick her up for school. The rain fell heavier than it did yesterday, and there were no signs of breezes to alleviate them from the heat.

"Hm? But Chie, it's the last day of school until summer vacation! Aren't you excited?" the girl was practically skipping, causing her friend to jog a little to keep up.

"Of course! But still, we gotta see if anyone appears on the Midnight Channel tonight," Chie couldn't help but feel like something was different about Yukiko. "Did something good happen to you? You're awfully cheerful today. What's up?"

Yukiko slowed her skip down to a walk to try to contain her anticipation for Saturday. "It's nothing… nothing in particular. Is it bad to be happy?"

"It's when you're over-the-top happy that I get worried. Are you on your period, or something? You're the only girl I know who gets really happy and giggly when you're on it."

"That's not it! And I'm not always happy or giggly whenever I'm on it!" Yukiko knew she should have agreed to it, but she couldn't stop herself in time.

"Then what is it? You weren't this happy yesterday when you and Souji-kun got the highest scores." Chie brought her face up close to Yukiko's, checking for telltale signs that something might be up. Upon hearing Souji's name, Yukiko felt her face flush.

"I knew it! It has something to do with Souji-kun!" Chie pointed a threatening finger at her. "You act all weird whenever I say his name!"

"No! Chie, don't do this again—" Yukiko pleaded, but Chie kept pushing.

"I knew it! You reacted because—"

"Because I'm still not happy about placing second to him on exams!" the words exploded from Yukiko's mouth without a second thought. Her eye began to twitch as Chie nodded to herself.

"I see. No wonder you were so quiet yesterday. Just don't push yourself too hard, okay? Jeez, and I thought you started to develop a crush on Souji-kun," she winked as she playfully elbowed her friend's arm. "Are you sure it's not what I think it is?"

Just then, Souji appeared on Chie's left while Yosuke popped in on Yukiko's right.

"Who's got a crush on Souji?" Yosuke asked, overhearing part of their conversation. "But, it's kinda hard to pinpoint who when every girl in school has a crush on him…"

Yukiko cringed at the thought of having to compete with all those girls, but Souji gave her a look that helped put her mind at ease. She decided it was best to follow up on Yosuke's thoughts. "That's true, but how come you haven't gone out with any of them, Souji-kun?"

The three shifted their eyes over to him, expecting a good explanation.

_Sorry, Souji-kun, but Chie was getting a little too close to the truth… again, _Yukiko turned her head far enough so that the apologetic look in her eyes would only be seen by Souji. He seemed to understand her message.

"Just because you don't see me going out with girls doesn't mean I'm not interested in them. For all you know, I might have a secret girlfriend or something," he said as he adjusted his hand on his umbrella. Yukiko felt the blood drain from her face at his answer while Yosuke pushed past her to interrogate Souji.

"You have a secret girlfriend?! Who!?" Chie and Yosuke demanded in unison as their umbrellas bumped Souji's out of his hand, leaving him without any protection from the rain. They shoved their faces right up into his, water dripping carelessly from their umbrellas in addition to the rain. "Who is she!? How come you didn't tell us about her?!"

Souji narrowed his eyes at them. "I'm kidding. Now if you don't mind, I'd like my umbrella back, thank you."

Chie backed off from him, water still dripping on his head from her umbrella. "Aw, no fun. Sorry, but with you, it's hard to tell if you're joking or not."

Yosuke handed him the abandoned umbrella, but he was already soaked from the rain. "Next time, don't joke about stuff like that. You know we'll take you seriously."

Yukiko silently thanked Souji for taking the attention away from her as they entered the school, but also wanted to slap him for hinting at their secret. "You'd better be more careful, Souji-kun, or else Chie will find another reason to drain your bank account."

Souji threw his umbrella into a bin full of other students' umbrellas. "There goes my entertainment," he said as he bent down to change into his school shoes.

"I won't. Besides, I haven't even gotten any reports from anyone about you getting a job lately, so I doubt you have any extra money to donate to the team," Chie smiled as she finished changing her own shoes.

"After what happened the other day, I think you owe him money," Yosuke said as he shut his shoe locker.

"How about we let him keep his next few paychecks to make up for it?" Yukiko suggested.

"I guess we do owe you. Okay, how about this—you can keep what you earn from your next three paychecks! Any money you earn after that will have two-thirds shaved off! How's that."

"That seems fair," Souji said as he straightened up. The second he closed his shoe locker, her felt delicate arms snake around his neck, pulling him down slightly. In the next second, he found himself in a lip-lock with Ai.

"Good morning, Souji," she said as she released him. "Oh my, you're all wet. Let me dry you off."

As she reached for her handkerchief, Souji whipped around to look at Yukiko, but she was nowhere to be found.


	8. Chapter 8

_That didn't just happen… I trust Souji-kun, don't I? He wouldn't…_

Yukiko ran after witnessing Souji and Ai's kiss and took refuge in the girls' restroom on the second floor. She stared at herself in the mirror as she held onto the sink for support, sobbing heavily as her tears flowed endlessly down her cheeks. The scene that had just occurred only seconds earlier continued to torture her as it replayed itself in her mind.

_Please, stop it,_ she begged herself as she rubbed her eyes in an attempt to erase the image, but all she did was make her vision fuzzy and the image in her mind easier to see. Blinking rapidly only made her woozy without removing the image. She steadied herself by gripping the sink harder, her head so low that her chin was touching her chest. Even with the support of the sink, she couldn't stop herself from trembling.

_I want to trust Souji-kun, but… how can I after seeing that? What am I to him? Is it because we've had to keep us secret that that happened? Because we couldn't be together freely? Was that joke about having a secret girlfriend about her? _

Some girls came into the restroom, and Yukiko, keeping her head down, drifted into a nearby stall. She overheard the girls talking excitedly about the school's new hottest couple.

"No way! He's dating Ebihara? Why her?"

"I guess he just likes that kind of woman. They kissed right by the shoe lockers!"

"The most popular guy in school dating one of the most popular girls in school… almost like it was meant to be. I'm so jealous!"

"You're not the only one. I bet a lot of girls hate Ebihara now. I wonder if a lot of guys hate Seta-kun? Oh, we'd better hurry before class starts."

The two girls left quickly, leaving Yukiko alone. She slowly opened the stall door and trudged out, hoping that no one else would come in and see her in her current state. She drew near to the door but did not leave. Instead, she went to the corner of the restroom where she placed her hand on the wall to keep her balance. With her other hand, she place it over her chest as she tried to regain control of her breathing to keep from sobbing again.

_My body feels so heavy, but my heart feels even heavier. And, whenever I think of Souji-kun, it's so painful. Does this mean…?_

The bell rang, and Yukiko's knees buckled beneath her. She slid her hand down the wall as she squat down—her body just didn't have the energy to support her weight. The hallways fell silent as students scurried into their classrooms, leaving Yukiko's mind more vulnerable to her thoughts.

…_Why do I feel this way…?_

Tears streaked down her face when she realized what she was feeling. She sat on the restroom floor, turning herself around to lean against the wall with her back while she hugged her knees. She buried her eyes into her knees, leaving tear stains on her skirt as heavy footsteps quickly approached her. A figure ran into the restroom, panting as it scanned the room.

"Yukiko! There you are, I've been looking all over for you!"

Chie knelt down and placed a hand on her friend's shoulder. "Hey, are you okay? What's wrong?"

A small sniffle came from somewhere behind her arms, and Yukiko lifted her head slightly. "…it hurts…" she whispered.

"What?" Chie strained her ear to hear better, but was surprised when Yukiko flung herself at her, sobbing loudly into Chie's stomach.

"Chie… it hurts… I can't… please…" she cried between sobs. Chie was at a loss with words at the state of her friend.

"…Yukiko…" she tried to say something to comfort Yukiko, but nothing came to mind.

"…It hurts so much…" she mumbled again, and this time Chie had an idea.

"C'mon, I'll take you to the infirmary," she said as she struggled to her feet. She helped Yukiko to her feet, but found that she had difficulty standing on her own. She gently took her by the arm and guided her down the stairs carefully to the infirmary as she listened to her softened sobs.

_I haven't seen her like this since we were kids. Is it that painful for her?_

She slid the door open and led her inside. The school nurse got up from her desk and strode over to them.

"What happened?" she asked as she took Yukiko by the shoulders and helped her lay down on one of the beds.

"She complained that something hurts, so I guess she's having bad cramps," Chie answered, but had a different reason in her head.

"Just rest for now," she heard the nurse say to Yukiko, and she drew the curtain around the bed to hide her from view. "She'll be fine. Thanks for bringing her here, but now you should hurry back to class."

"Yeah, okay. Feel better, Yukiko!" she said over her shoulder as she left. The nurse returned to Yukiko's bedside with something in her hands.

"Here, a hot water bottle. Place this over your stomach to ease the pain," she instructed as she laid the hot container on her stomach. She then pulled the bed sheets up to Yukiko's chin.

"…Th-Thank you…" Yukiko said weakly. The nurse nodded to her.

"You're welcome. Get some rest now."

As she walked away, Yukiko felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. She pulled it out and saw that Souji had sent her a text.

"_We need to talk. Can you meet me at lunch?"_

_Souji-kun… forgive me, but I don't want you see you right now._ She closed her phone and replaced it back into her pocket without replying to the text. She pulled the sheets up over her head and laid there, her mind in a hazy fog. About an hour later, she heard the nurse leave the room, and Yukiko decided to sneak out before she returned. Before leaving, she left a note on the nurse's desk thanking her and informing her that she was returning to class.

She picked up her school bag and left the room, unsure of where she could go. Her parents would question her early return, and facing Souji was the last thing she currently wanted to do. She found herself wandering over to the practice building, hoping to find a quiet place to sort out her thoughts.

_I really don't want to see him right now. I don't even want to be in the same room as him! _

She walked up and down the practice building hallway and stopped in front of the English Literature club room. She remembered that the club had been inactive due to the lack of student interest and that the club room was never used.

_I can't go home yet, and I don't want to go to class. I guess this is the only place I can go for some privacy._

She opened the door and walked in, not bothering to turn on the lights. The room looked like all the other classrooms, only in slightly better condition from not being used in recent years. She took a seat in the front row and set her bag on the desk. She then folded her arms on her bag and laid her head down, trying to organize her thoughts. She could only feel her mind go to mush with each passing hour, but finally had to admit to what she was feeling earlier.

_I… I hate him…_

Hot tears poured from her eyes onto her sweater's sleeves as she submitted to the truth. She picked her head up to wipe her tears away, and decided to check her cell phone for the time.

_Just a few minutes until lunchtime. I guess I'll go to the restroom and wash my face before anyone sees me._

Leaving her bag on the desk, she got up and left the room to find the nearest restroom, still trying to convince herself that she shouldn't hate Souji. But, due to delving too deeply into her thoughts, she subconsciously wound up back on the first floor of the school building. She mentally pictured herself smacking her head into a concrete wall for allowing herself to lose track of her sense of direction as she steered herself into the girls' restroom.

_This bad habit of mine is going to get me into trouble one of these days,_ she thought as she stepped in front of one of the sinks. She checked herself in the mirror and saw a pair of red, puffy eyes staring back at her. She turned on the faucet and splashed water on her face, hoping it would calm her down and allow her to think more clearly. After shutting off the faucet, she pulled out a plain, white handkerchief from her pocket to dry herself off. Once her face was dry, she stood there staring at her handkerchief.

_That's right, my favorite one went missing. I wonder when I lost it…_

She had just folded it and placed it back into her pocket when the lunch bell rang. Before she could even react, students had crowded into the hallway, chatting excitedly about Souji and Ai becoming a couple. Knowing she was trapped, she hid in one of the stalls to wait out the entire lunch period before returning to her hiding spot in the practice building.

--

Inside second year class two's classroom, Souji found himself surrounded by a number of his male classmates who came to 'congratulate' him on acquiring Ai as a girlfriend.

"Good job bagging Ebihara!" one boy said as he slapped his hand hard into Souji's back. Souji grunted in pain, but it didn't end there. One by one, the boys greeted him, followed by a lethal blow to his back.

"Seta, you're a lucky guy!" SMACK!

"That's a fine catch ya got there!" SMACK!

"Be sure to treat her right!" SMACK!

"You have my blessings!" SMACK!

_This… is without a doubt… divine punishment for hurting Yukiko-san,_ he thought as he slumped over his desk. His back was throbbing angrily once all the boys had taken their shots at him and left. _As much as I deserve this, this freakin' sucks!_

"Dude, it's pretty cool that you bagged one of the most popular girls in school, but if that's what's gonna happen, I'm kinda glad I'm not you," he said as he fiddled with the headphones around his neck.

"We're… we're not… together…" Souji grunted through the pain.

"Huh? Then what was that kiss about?" Chie asked as Souji tried to arch his back inward.

"I think… it has something to do with… yesterday…" he said as he reached a hand over his shoulder to touch the giant sore spot on his back. "She was going through a tough time, so I decided to help her out."

"So, being nice can actually bite you in the ass later?" Yosuke half-joked as Souji's breathing became less ragged.

"Looks like it. Though, I'm not sure what I said to make her think I was interested in her."

As he said this, the door to their classroom burst open and Rise ran over to Souji's side with Kanji right at her heels. She looked like she was ready to cry.

"Senpai, it's not true, is it? Are you really dating that girl?" she asked, and Souji sat back up and looked back into her eyes.

"No, Rise-chan, it's not true. She was going through a tough time and I just tried to help her. Somehow she just misunderstood that I didn't intend to date her." His words came out casually, but inside, he was experiencing a hurricane of guilt, panic, worry, and rage. Rise's face lit up and she wiped away the traces of tears in her eyes.

"How come this chick keeps givin' Senpai trouble?" Kanji asked with a scowl. Rise looked up at him with a puzzled look on her face.

"Kanji, what're you talking about? You mean this isn't the first time she's done something to Senpai?"

A small alarm went off in Chie's and Yosuke's heads when they remembered that Rise and Teddie were the only ones that didn't know about Souji's sugar daddy complex.

"W-Well, Rise-chan, it's kinda like… uh…" Chie started, but kept shifting her eyes over to Yosuke to finish the explanation for her.

"Uh, well, Souji's always nice enough to help people out with their problems, so… what Kanji's trying to say is..." Yosuke's train of thought ran out, and he looked to Kanji for an idea.

"Um… I-I guess Senpai's been… uh… helpin' her a lot?" Kanji finished as he scratched his head. They all looked to Rise, who didn't seem to object to the explanation.

"Senpai, you really are a nice guy! But, if it's gonna land you in relationships you don't want, you might wanna be a bit more careful—especially around other girls," she scolded. Through his pain, Souji smiled as he stood up.

"Yeah, you're right. I'll talk to Ai-san after school about this."

"But, why not now? You've got plenty of time during lunch," Chie suggested, and Souji's smile became sorrowful.

"Not now. I've got something else to take care of," he said, and left the room. He remembered earlier that morning that Chie walked into class late, telling the teacher that she had to take Yukiko to the infirmary due to illness, and he thought this would be a good time to try to talk to her about what was going on and to ask her for her forgiveness.

_Obviously, she skipped out because of me, _he thought as he trudged down the hallway to the stairs. The hallway was noisy with the chatter of students, but as he passed by, the chatter died down while the students stared at him. His eyes darted from student to student, catching a few glares along the way. Blocking the stairs was a group of boys that Souji recognized as some of Ai's fans and his attackers. When they noticed him staring at them, they smirked.

"Lookin' for yer girlfriend, Seta?" the biggest boy scoffed.

_Technically, I am, but I don't think we're thinking about the same girl. _Souji shrugged his shoulders and shoved his hands in his pockets as he headed down the stairs. Somewhere behind him, he heard the familiar voice of a rather large girl defend him.

"Huh, you guys are just jealous because Ebihara never looked in your direction," Hanako snorted at the boys.

"Compared to you, Ohtani, I've got a better chance of scoring with Ai-san than you do getting a glance from Seta!" the boy that had mocked Souji earlier jeered at her. The boys laughed maliciously at the beefy girl, and she smashed a massive fist into the boy's jaw. He quickly recovered, and he and his friends surrounded her by the stairs.

"Damn bitch!" he snarled as he lunged forward, but his friends held him back.

"Dude, it's not cool to hit a chick!" one of the boys yelled as he grasped his friend's arm. The enraged boy stopped struggling and his friends released him.

"I wasn't gonna hit 'er," he grumbled as he adjusted his uniform. "Let's grab somethin' to eat. I'm pissed 'cause I didn't eat yet."

As Hanako turned to head down the stairs, the boy stuck his leg out and tripped her. She flew down the stairs with a scream, giving all but one student enough time to run out of the way. As she hit the ground, she found herself lying on top of an unconscious Souji.

--

In the first floor girls' restroom, Yukiko listened to the chatter of the students as she waited patiently for lunchtime to end. She was no longer crying, but her rage towards Souji continued to overtake her grief the more she thought about it. She was tempted to march up to Souji, rip his arm off, and beat him with it when two girls entered the restroom with loud voices.

"Can you believe that girl? Thinking she could take Seta-san from us?" one girl said in an arrogant voice.

"Someone should put her in her place!" the other girl said in a snobbish voice. "A girl like her doesn't deserve a great guy like Seta-san!"

Yukiko peeked through a crack by the stall's door to get a better look at the girls.

"I know, right? Hey, I heard that a girl in our class was gonna put tacks in her shoes during lunch!"

"Seriously? We'd better hurry to the shoe lockers after school to watch!"

The two girls laughed shrilly as they left the restroom. Yukiko turned around in her stall and leaned against the door with her back.

_If Souji-kun and I let everyone know about our relationship, would we be facing the same hardships? Would people try to hurt us to tear us apart? And, has Souji-kun experienced any bullying already?_

A loud thud came from the hallway, followed by the floor shaking slightly. Students in the hallway screamed as they ran by the girls' restroom, breaking Yukiko's thoughts.

_An earthquake? Of all the times…_

She remained inside the stall, wondering if their relationship would last past that day. When the bell rang, she waited until the school was silent before returning to her safe haven in the practice building.

--

About an hour after the accident, Souji woke up, confused at what had just happened. He knew he was in the infirmary, but how he ended up there was a mystery to him. He opened and closed his eyes several times before realizing that the school nurse was smiling down at him.

"You're awake! How're you feeling? Do you remember what happened?" she asked. Souji made an attempt to sit up, but winced at the amount of pain that surged through his back. The nurse gently pushed him back onto the bed.

"Try not to move. You'll hurt yourself more."

"Wh… What happened?" he groaned as he brought his hand up to his head. His fingers grazed a thick layer of bandages that wrapped around his forehead.

"A girl fell on top of you from the top of the stairs. You hit your head hard enough to draw some blood," the nurse told him as she readjusted Souji's blanket. Souji could hardly believe that a girl could invoke that much damage to him.

"Does the pain lie? It was a rather hefty girl, I might add…"

_That couldn't have been a girl. Just how hefty was this girl… oh, nevermind._

"By the way, I suggest you stay here for the remainder of the day," the nurse said as she left the small area encircled by the curtain. "I hear you've become quite the target for ambushes, and I have a feeling that your accident wasn't an accident at all."

_Yeah, today's been kinda dangerous. I wonder if Ai-san's going through the same thing?_ Souji's head was throbbing from when it hit the floor, and he laid his arm across his eyes to keep the fluorescent lights on the ceiling from making it worse. _Danger… Wait, I'm currently in danger by having people think I'm dating Ai-san, and Yukiko-san's in distress… That dream wasn't telling me about that other time, it was referring to now! Damn dream, why couldn't you be more time specific?!_

"Um, excuse me, but did a girl in a red sweater come in here earlier?" Souji tried to prop himself up on his elbows, but it was a huge mistake when he cried out in agony.

"I told you not to move," the nurse called from beyond the curtain. "Is this girl a friend of yours?"

"Yeah. I heard she wasn't feeling well," Souji panted as the pain ebbed away. _What did she do, break my back?! And aren't you supposed to send fatally-wounded students to the hospital?! What if I have internal bleeding?!_

"She was here for about an hour, and then left to return to class. In any case, she's fine but you're not, so take it easy for now."

_How can I take it easy when I'm worried about Yukiko-san? She never came to class, and even though I wanna talk to her, things just keep getting in the way,_ he thought as he listened to the rain outside the window. _Yukiko-san, where are you?_

He eventually fell asleep with Yukiko on his mind and didn't wake up until about half an hour after the final bell had rung. When he opened his eyes, he found Ai watching him with a worried expression on her face while she held his hand tightly.

"Are you okay?" she asked with a pitiful smile. Having just woken up, Souji was still in a dazed state when she asked this and could only let out a groan.

"It's okay, just relax," Ai said as she stroked his hair with her free hand. Souji was almost about to settle back to sleep when it hit him that the one holding his hand wasn't Yukiko.

"What're you—GGGRRRAAAAHHHH!" Souji bolted upright as an explosion erupted in his back.

"Souji! Stay there, I'll get the nurse!" Ai yelled as she ran out of the infirmary. Souji didn't want to remain in that room any more, and he threw his legs over the side of the bed and tried to stand. He found it difficult to remain in a standing position without having something to support him.

_Must… find… Yukiko-san! _He stumbled out from behind the curtain and laid his hands on the nurse's desk to steady himself when Ai returned with the nurse.

"Why'd you get up?" Ai asked as she ran forward to help him stand. She put one of his arms around her shoulders to support his weight better.

"So, this is Yasogami High's most famous couple, huh?" the nurse grinned. "You two look cute together! Well, Ebihara-chan, take good care of him, okay?"

She went to her desk and picked up Souji's school bag. "Your friends came by awhile ago and dropped this off," she told Souji as she handed it to him. "They were pretty worried about you."

"Thanks. Sorry for all the trouble," he panted, and he and Ai left the infirmary for the shoe lockers. By now, the hallways were silent as most of the students had left a long time ago.

"Have you… been experiencing any trouble today?" Souji asked as they hobbled down the hallway.

"I found a few threatening notes, but it's not the first time, though," she said. "They're mostly empty threats, so they're nothing compared to what you've gone through."

"Threatening notes are still dangerous. By the way, are you free today?"

"I'm free, why?" they reached the shoe lockers and Ai helped Souji change into his regular shoes.

"There's something I wanted to talk to you about…"

--

Yukiko walked down the pathway linking the practice building to the school building as she responded to a text from Chie.

_"Where are u?!"_ the text read.

_"Don't worry about me. I'm fine,"_ was all Yukiko could say in her reply. _At least, I think I am. I even waited an extra half-hour after the bell so I could avoid everyone._ She neared the shoe lockers when she stopped dead in her tracks after seeing Souji with his arm around Ai's shoulders.

_It can't be… it's not true!_

Again, hot tears formed in her eyes as she stood there staring at them. Their image became blurry, and she rubbed her eyes on her sleeve, choking back her sobs so they wouldn't hear her. When her vision returned, she saw Ai reach for her shoes as she recalled the conversation she had overheard in the restroom.

"Wait! Don't!" Yukiko burst out as she lunged forward. Souji, who was now leaning against the lockers, was shocked to see Yukiko running towards them. Ai withdrew her hand and straightened up to face the girl who shouted.

"Don't do what?" Ai asked. The gentleness in her voice had completely disappeared. Souji was startled at how cold her voice had become, compared to how attentive and caring she had been only moments earlier.

"I-I overheard some girls today…" _Why am I helping her? _"They said that someone put tacks in your shoes."

Souji reached into Ai's shoe locker and pulled out one of her shoes. He then smiled. "She's right. Take a look."

Ai peered inside her shoe to find that someone had indeed thrown some tacks inside to tear at her feet. She scrunched up her face in anger as she took a step towards Yukiko and slapped her across the face.

"Ai-san!" Souji gasped as Yukiko held a hand over her cheek.

"How stupid do you think I am? I know you're the one who put them in there!" Ai shouted.

"No, I—"

"You're one of those people against our relationship, aren't you?! You just want him all to yourself!"

Another loud smack echoed off the empty hallway walls as Yukiko slapped Ai.

"Yukiko-san…" Souji was in awe of Yukiko's refusal to back down.

"If I'm one of his fans, then why did I help you?!" she yelled. Souji could swear that her eyes glowed red beneath her bangs. Ai quickly rubbed her offended cheek before slapping Yukiko again.

"How should I know?! Maybe you're trying to become his friend and eventually steal him from me!"

"He IS my friend!" Yukiko pulled her hand back and struck again with more force. "Why would I want to steal him in the first place?!"

Ai's hair fell over her face from Yukiko's attack. The look on her face hardened as she rubbed her jaw. "For all I know, even though you say he's your friend, it's because you have feelings for him," she said in a soft but frosty tone.

Yukiko lowered her head. The feeling of being stabbed in the chest paralyzed her from attacking again. "I-Is that so… I'm sorry, but you're mistaken. Seta-kun is…" Tears rode down her cheeks and fell to the floor as Ai and Souji stared at her.

"… Seta-kun is just… a f-friend," she finished. Without changing her shoes, she ran out into the rain, her bag and umbrella forgotten.

"Yukiko-san!" Souji tried to run after her, but the pain in his back forced him to his knees. Ai helped him to his feet as heavy footsteps ran down the stairs.

"Yukiko! Where'd she go? She was just here, wasn't she?!" Chie said all in one breath.

"Chie-chan? Why're you still here?" Souji asked as he and Ai took a few steps toward her.

"I've been looking everywhere for Yukiko! Wait… Are you two…?" Chie took note of Souji's arm around Ai's shoulders. Souji quickly took his arm away, causing him to lose his balance and slam his back into the lockers.

"Souji!" Ai picked him up again and made sure she had a firm grip on him this time. "What do you want, Satonaka? Can't a girlfriend help her injured boyfriend like this?"

Chie looked from Ai to Souji. "Oh yeah, are you okay? Wait, boyfriend? So, does that mean you haven't talked to her about it yet?"

"Wh-What's that supposed to mean?" Ai stammered angrily. "What do you know about what Souji has to talk to me about?" She looked up at Souji, but he turned his face away from her, casting his gaze to the floor.

"Chie-chan, could you take Amagi's things to her? Don't forget her shoes, okay?" he said quietly.

"Uh, sure, but why'd you call her—"

Ai felt herself grow livid just having Chie's presence around her. "Let's go, Souji!" she said loudly to cut Chie's sentence short. She dumped the tacks out of her shoes and the two left the school, sharing Ai's umbrella as Chie stared after them.

--

Under the gazebo at the Samegawa River Plain, Souji decided it was the best place to talk to Ai about their relationship. The rain poured heavily around them, trapping the heat within their shelter, but the sound wasn't enough to drown out the silence between them.

"So, what did you wanna talk to me about?" Ai asked, afraid of what his answer would be. Souji didn't have the courage to look at her as he spoke.

"Before that, are you alright? It looked like she hit you pretty hard," he said as he shifted into a comfortable sitting position. Ai was glad that he was concerned about her, but at the same time irritated that he was dodging her question.

"I'm fine—there's no way I'd go down that easily!" she grinned as she said this, but frowned soon after. "Souji, please don't try to change the topic. Just say it."

Souji folded his arms across his chest and sighed. "Yesterday, when you suggested that you and I just 'go out' did you… did you mean we should start dating?" he asked in a slow, calm voice. He was no longer angry, but depression had begun to set in after seeing Yukiko run off.

"Yeah, I did. Why?"

"I see." He tipped his head backwards to look upwards at the gazebo's ceiling, allowing him to see Ai off to the side. "Then, I have to apologize."

Ai turned to look at him better. "For what?"

"I had no intention of dating you. At the time, I thought that you wanted to go shopping to take your mind off of things. I'm sorry if my actions led you to think something more," he said as he closed his eyes. He sat like that quietly, but when Ai didn't respond, he opened his eyes to see her fighting back tears.

"Ai-san…" He leaned forward, but stopped short when his back started to emit more pain.

"I'm also partly to blame, since I said it like that," she replied with a wavering voice. "I really thought that you started to like me. You were always so nice to me, even when I treated you terribly. I guess I fell for you because you were the first one to truly be nice to me. I was so happy, knowing that there was someone out there that really cared about me."

She pulled her handkerchief out of her pocket. "Seriously… Why does this keep happening to me?"

"… I'm sorry," was all Souji could say. He turned his head towards her to see her wipe away her tears. His eyes fell to a patch of floor by her feet, unsure of what else to tell her.

"Is there… someone else?"

His raised his face to hers, accidentally meeting her eyes. The hairs on the back of his neck rose as he balled his hands into fists. "Yes, there is."

"Who?"

Souji unfolded his arms and let them rest on his lap. "I can't tell you."

"Why not?"

"Because…" he smiled sadly. "I promised her that we'd keep our relationship a secret."

Ai jumped up from her seat. "How do I know that you're not lying? Is there really another girl, or are you just saying that to get rid of me?"

He stared at her irate face before he produced Yukiko's handkerchief from his pocket. "She left this at my house awhile back. I kept forgetting to return it, so I figured if I kept it on me I'll eventually remember." He handed it over to Ai, who took it carefully into her hands. She examined it for awhile before giving it back to Souji.

"If there's something you're known for, it's your honesty," she said with a soft smile as he replaced the handkerchief into his pocket. "We can add kindness to that, too."

"I would, but I can't," he said, looking out at the rain. "Not after what I did to her."

"But it was my fault! She can't hate you because of that!" Ai threw her hand out to the side, but Souji shook his head.

"You can't be to blame. I didn't do a good enough job of protecting her."

"Protecting… her…?" Ai wasn't quite sure what he meant, but something clicked in her mind. "Are you… referring to Amagi?"

Panic sizzled up his spine, but it didn't show on his face. "…No. Even if she hates me now, I still won't tell who she is."

Ai chuckled softly. "No wonder everyone likes you. You're the perfect guy that any girl could ever hope to have."

Souji smiled. "Thanks, but I'm not as perfect as you think."

"Well, you're pretty close." Ai took up her umbrella and her bag. "Souji, thanks for all your help and for telling me face-to-face about all this. I feel like I have more respect for you."

Souji got to his feet, his back still keeping him from standing for too long. "No problem. I'm just glad that you took it well."

Ai quickly wedged herself under his arm again. "Just because I'm not your girlfriend doesn't mean I can't be a good friend and help you home, right?"

Souji gave a small nod. "Yeah, I'm cool with that."

She smiled up at him. "I guess I can settle for 'good friend' for now."

Ai soaked in the little time she had with Souji as she helped him to his uncle's house, hoping that one day they could be together like that without anyone to get in their way.

--

Kasai was by the front desk of the Amagi Inn when she saw Yukiko running towards her, completely drenched from the rain.

"Yuki-chan? What happened?" Kasai walked towards the girl and found her sobbing uncontrollably. She held her by the chin and forced her head up, trails of tears streaming down from glassy, red eyes.

"K-Kasai-san…" Yukiko barely uttered through her sobs, and the woman wiped her tears away with her kimono's sleeve.

"Shh… it's okay, Yuki-chan. Go straight to your room, but use the stairs to avoid everyone, okay? I'll be up in a few minutes."

With a nod, she did as she was told. She was almost done changing out of her wet clothes when Kasai came in with a towel and a wet cloth.

"Here, for your cheek," she said as she pressed the wet cloth to Yukiko's swollen cheek. Kasai proceeded to dry her hair with the towel while Yukiko finished tying her yukata. "Now, tell me what happened."

Yukiko sat down at her small table while Kasai sat on her heels to continue drying her hair. She kept quiet while Yukiko described her day, and when she finished, tears began to roll down her face again.

"So, that's what happened. Somehow, I don't think—"

She was cut off when the door to Yukiko's room opened suddenly and Chie walked in carrying her school bag.

"Chie! What are you doing here?" Yukiko gasped.

"What else?! I've been worried sick about you! I tried texting you, but all you kept saying was 'I'm fine!' You don't look fine at all!"

Yukiko lowered her eyes to the floor. "I'm sorry, Chie. I guess I'm just having a bad day…"

"Really? You were really happy on the way to school," Chie sighed as she closed the door behind her. "What happened this morning?"

"Well…" Yukiko's mind seemed to shut off on her as Chie took a seat next to her. Kasai took the young girl's long pause as her turn to answer.

"Yuki-chan's just going through some hectic mood swings," she said cheerfully. "It's been so busy at the inn that she's just under a lot of stress. One minute she'll be as happy as a newly-wed, the next she'll be moping around the inn! Not to mention that it's also her time-of-the-month."

"Kasai-san!" Yukiko cried, but the older woman only smiled while Chie nodded.

"I guess since it's summer vacation it gets pretty busy around here, but this morning you said that you weren't on your period," she reasoned, but Kasai laughed.

"Chie-chan, were you out in public when you were talking about her period?"

"Can we please stop talking about that?" Yukiko moaned as she laid her head down on the table.

"Yeah, we were. Why?"

"Were there guys around when you brought it up?"

"Oh yeah! And Yosuke and Souji-kun came by and… oh," it hit Chie as to why Yukiko denied her time-of-the-month. "Sorry, Yukiko. I wasn't thinking again."

Yukiko folded her arms on the table around her head before letting out another moan. Kasai clicked her tongue at her.

"Poor girl, having such terrible cramps, too."

"Wow, I didn't know it got this bad for you, Yukiko," Chie patted her head. "Man, you and Souji-kun really had it rough today—you had monster cramps and he got crushed by Hanako-san."

Yukiko, without lifting her head, turned towards Chie, her face covered by a mass of semi-dry hair. "What?"

"Well, first a bunch of guys pretended to congratulate him for getting that girl as his girlfriend by smacking him on the back, and then he left saying he had something to take care of when Hanako-san fell from the top of the stairs and landed on Souji-kun! She's fine because he broke her fall, but he ended up with a back injury. He couldn't even stand without someone supporting him."

_So, that's why… then, that earthquake I felt in the restroom was… and he had his arm around her so he could—_

"Oh my, is he alright?" Kasai asked.

"He seemed alright, but he still had to go and deal with some other business," Chie said as she picked up the other end of the towel and helped dry her friend's hair. "A girl at our school thought that he wanted to start dating her, but it was all just a big misunderstanding, so he had to go explain to her everything after school."

"Even with his back injury?"

"Yeah, but it looked like it was really urgent for him to clear things up with her. He's too good a guy…"

Yukiko closed her eyes as the two continued to dry her hair. _Souji-kun… I'm sorry I jumped to conclusions. But, even though I know what went on, I still don't think I can face you just yet._

Chie stayed for an hour before going home, and Yukiko was finally starting to feel a little better.

"Feel better, okay, Yukiko?" Chie said as she left. Yukiko smiled and waved her away while Kasai put a hand on her shoulder.

"Now, do you feel any better?" she asked with a warm smile. Yukiko started to play with a few strands of hair as she tried to figure out her current feelings.

"To tell you the truth, I'm still really mad. Even though I know that everything was a misunderstanding, I still don't want to see him. I wonder if I've become heartless…" A pair of arms wrapped around her from behind as Kasai enveloped her in a tender hug.

"I don't think so. Just don't rush things or else it'll only get worse from there. But, there's something that still doesn't sit right with me."

Yukiko let her hands fall to her lap. "What is it?"

"Well, it's more like I find it interesting—she tried to take Souji-kun away from you, but you were still nice enough to tell her about the tacks in her shoes," Kasai said as she stood up. "If you were nice enough to help someone that you thought to be an enemy, then you're not heartless at all."

She took a few steps towards the door before turning around to look at Yukiko. "By the way, you might want to be more careful about your display of emotions—we can only use the 'period' excuse so many times."

After she left, Yukiko's phone buzzed, telling her she had received a text message.

_"Don't 4get Midnite Channel 2nite!"_ Chie's message read. Yukiko sent a reply telling her that she wouldn't forget before closing her phone. She got up and went to her desk, where she pulled out the shrine charm from the top drawer.

"Maybe I should've brought this with me today to ward off boyfriend-stealing girls," she muttered as she held it in front of her. With a soft sigh, she put it back into the drawer and left to take a dip in the hot springs to relax. After she took a few steps outside her room, she ran back to her desk and took out the charm again.

"Just in case," she said, tucking it into her sleeve before heading downstairs.


	9. Chapter 9

Yukiko sat alone in her room, listening to the sound of the humid rain outside. She sat at her table fanning herself with one of her many battle fans as she counted down the minutes to midnight.

_How did that rumor go? If you stare into a turned off TV at midnight while it's raining, your soul mate will appear on the screen. _

At least, that's how it was supposed to go. Shortly after moving in with his uncle and cousin, Souji discovered his power to enter the TV world, where people who were reported missing ended up before showing up dead a few days later. The image of the 'soul mate' was actually of the people who were inside the TV world, and it was up to Souji and company to rescue them.

Monsters called 'shadows' lurk inside the TV world, obstructing the team from quickly completing their rescue missions. When they finally do reach the victim, they have to fight another shadow—the victim's other self that consists of rejected thoughts and feelings. If the victim is willing to accept their 'other self,' then it becomes a persona—a being that acts as a guardian for the victim.

_To think, only a few months ago I was a victim. If I hadn't been kidnapped, I wouldn't have gotten my persona. Chie and I wouldn't be as close as we are now and I wouldn't have started to like Sou—_

She slapped her palms against her cheeks, trying to wipe her mind of thoughts of Souji. It worked, because her swollen cheek emitted a horrible stinging sensation that almost made her cry out. Even though she already knew that Souji wasn't cheating on her, she still felt like she needed some time away from him. Every time she thought of him, she felt anger well up in her chest. She had a sudden desire to summon her persona and shoot flames at him.

_Okay, now I'm being unreasonable,_ she thought with a sigh. _Maybe I'll torch him just a little… and then heal him right after. That's fair, right?_

The small television in her room crackled to life as an image came on. Yukiko got up and sat on her knees before the screen, seeing a boy in an orange long-sleeve shirt staring back at her.

"You all think you can see me? You all think you know everything about me?"

He chuckled to himself, and Yukiko felt a shiver crawl down her spine, despite the thick humidity.

"Then try and catch me."

The image faded, and almost immediately her cell phone rang, startling her.

_It's okay, just calm down. You're not in one of those horror films where you watch something and then the phone rings. You're not going to die after you answer it,_ she told herself as she answered her cell phone.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Yukiko! Didja watch it?" Chie's voice floated from the other end.

"Yeah, but who was he?" she asked as she sat back down at her table. She flicked her fan open and started fanning herself again.

"I dunno, but there's definitely gonna be a meeting at Junes tomorrow. I'll call Souji-kun and text you back later with the time, okay?"

"Okay, thanks," she said, and then she hung up. _That means that I'll have to see him tomorrow. I guess I'll try telling him how I feel about what happened._

She got up and spread out her futon, glad to finally end what she felt was the worst day of her life. She had just settled into her futon when her phone rang.

"I thought you were just going to text me," she said, still lying under the covers.

"Yeah, but I was curious about something," Chie replied. "I know you were on your period and all, but you got really stressed out after Souji-kun and Ai-san kissed. Are you sure that you don't have a crush on him, or something?"

"N-No! Why do you always bring that up?!" Yukiko sat up, tightening her grip on her blanket. "Chie, how many times do I have to keep telling you? I don't like him like that!"

"O-Okay, sheesh. The way you get all defensive makes me think otherwise." Chie yawned on the other side of the phone. "Well, just telling you, if you do like him, I'm more than willing to help you two get together."

"Chie! We're just friends! For all you know, I might actually like Yosuke-kun instead!" She put a hand to her mouth when she realized what she had just said.

"Whoa, don't even joke like that! When Souji-kun made that joke about having a secret girlfriend, it almost came true!"

_Don't remind me. I owe him a few shots of my Agilao for that._ "Then how about you? You're always quick to beat on Yosuke-kun if he says something wrong. How do I know those aren't… what was it called? 'Love taps'?"

"What's a 'love tap'?"

"It's where you hit someone as a sign of affection, I think. The harder the hit, the more affection. At least, that what I've heard."

"What? No way, I hit him because he deserves it! Remember when he broke my 'Trial of the Dragon'? He definitely deserved that!"

_Now she's the one that's getting defensive. _"Chie, why are you getting so upset? I wasn't implying that you had feelings for him, unless… you don't, do you?"

Yukiko could hear the sounds of her friend choking on her words on the other end. Chie's cheeks glowed light pink, but lucky for her, Yukiko couldn't see it. "O-O-O-Of course not! H-He's an idiot! There's no way I could ever start liking a guy like that! You should've heard what he said to me the other day! And if you think I'm gonna let you fall for a jerk like that you're crazy!"

She gasped when she heard Yukiko giggle on the other end. "Chie… you really are my prince, aren't you?"

"Huh? Whatcha mean by that?"

"You always keep me out of trouble, and if I have a bad day, you know how to cheer me up."

"Yukiko…" Chie smiled. "Well, just be at Junes by ten, okay?"

"Yeah, see you then!"

She hung up and sighed as she set her phone next to her pillow. _Did I… just turn the tables on Chie? Because that felt really good! Just wait, Chie—next time you try to figure us out, I'm going to throw the 'Yosuke-kun' theory at you!_

She frowned as she laid back down on her futon. _I wonder if I'll be able to face Souji-kun tomorrow. I'm still mad, but with a new victim, we can't afford to let our personal issues get in the way. What should I do?_

--

The next morning, Yukiko went to Junes and met everyone at the food court. She never really resolved what she was going to do about her issues with Souji, but she could already see that it wasn't going to be an easy-going day.

_The day's only begun, and already the last unoccupied seat is next to him,_ she thought miserably as she took the seat next to Souji. With a quick glance to her left, she could see that he too, looked uncomfortable. She wondered if it was from having to sit next to each other, the summer heat, or his back pains from yesterday.

"Senpai, you sure you're okay to be out here? I mean, with your back an' all…" Kanji narrowed his eyes at him, but Souji shook his head.

"I'm fine. As long as I don't do too much strenuous stuff like running, it shouldn't be a problem."

"Are you sure? You sounded pretty bad on the phone last night," Chie's eyes were full of sympathy as she said this.

"That was last night. I'm fine now. Now, let's start the meeting, shall we?"

Yosuke nodded. "Okay, Rise-chan and Teddie are checking out the other side, so we'll go ahead and start the meeting. Now, about what happened last night… You guys all saw it, right?"

Everyone nodded in unison, but Kanji was the one to say something. "Yeah. Shit he said made my blood boil. That mumbling of his and those fish-like eyes pissed me off even more. Who the hell is he?"

"… The killer," Souji said softly so as not to let outsiders hear.

"Yeah, I was thinking the same thing," Yosuke agreed.

"You too, Yosuke-kun?" Yukiko asked.

"It's just a hunch, but it makes sense," Chie said thoughtfully.

"We've been told that the suspect is a high schooler… The police are after him for the murder of King Moron. So to see that on TV last night, at a time like this… I mean, he even taunted the viewers, saying, 'try and catch me…'" Yosuke confirmed. Everyone seemed to have grasped the concept except for Kanji, who had a blank look on his face.

"Uhhhh… So?"

Souji looked to Yosuke to further explain the situation. With a heavy sigh he looked at Kanji and tried to explain it in an easy-to-understand manner. "Alright, let's say there's this high school student. We'll call him Shin…"

Yukiko took the time to organize her own thoughts as to why the suspect would be inside the TV world. _So, this Shin-kun found that he could go inside the TV one day, and for some unknown reason started throwing people inside. For a while it was the perfect crime, but when he saw that people stopped dying, he decided to murder someone with his own hands. To escape the police, he threw himself inside the TV where no one would be able to find him. That makes sense._

"So… you're sayin' he went into the other world to dodge the cops?" Kanji's face lit up as he started to understand. "Ohhhh… So that's why he said, 'Catch me if you can…' Wow Senpai, you're smarter than you look!"

Yosuke gritted his teeth. "Geez, you can piss me off sometimes."

"We still don't know why he targeted people who were shown on TV…" Yukiko thought aloud. "But if he had a personal grudge against Mr. Morooka, that explains one thing. With a strong enough motive, wouldn't he forsake the untraceable TV method and try to kill Mr. Morooka on his own? If you think about it that way, it sort of makes sense why Mr. Morooka died without appearing on TV."

Everyone contemplated for a moment on Yukiko's theory. After a few moments, Yukiko finished off her thoughts with, "But I wonder what that boy's going to do, now that he's in there… With Teddie on this side, there's no way for him to get out…"

Chie picked her head up. "Y-You don't think… he's gonna get desperate and end it all…? He did look depressed, like it was the end of the world…"

"No, I don't think that's it," Yosuke answered. "The killer has to know that the people he threw into the TV have come back to this side. I can see missing Yukiko-san or Kanji. But Rise-chan, a celebrity… There's no way the killer wouldn't know she's still alive. So that means he knows there's a way out of the TV world. As for the rest, we'll just have to ask him face to face."

As he said this, Rise came running up to their table.

"Hey, good timing! How'd it go?" Chie asked with a smile.

"Not good. There's not enough information to go on," Rise frowned. "But at least we're positive that someone's in there…"

Yosuke looked past her at the elevator. "I see… Wait, where's Teddie?"

"He's still looking," she answered. Yosuke popped his neck before saying anything.

"Alright. So we need to find out who that guy is… and if he is in fact the one the police are after. Once we figure that out, we just do our thing."

On his left, Chie smashed a fist into an open palm. "That's right! If he really is the killer and he's escaped into the other world, the police don't have a chance of catching him."

"So it's all on us!" Kanji grinned.

"Well then, let's get digging!" Chie announced, and Souji took up his job as leader.

"To sum things up: our current objective is to find more information on the suspect. We'll split up and ask around town if they know anything about him. Understood?"

He was answered by a series of nods around the table. "Good. Dismissed!"

As he and his friends loaded into the elevator, he noticed that Yukiko squished into a far corner behind Kanji and Chie. He took it as a signal to keep his distance, at least for now.

_GAH!! She hates me! How'm I supposed to fix this now? Okay, calm down. Just try to talk to her today, that's all. If your friends see you talking to her, they'll just think it's for the investigation. Calm down calm down calm down!_

"Senpai, are you alright? You look kinda sick," Rise shoved her face up into his. "Are you gonna be okay walking around town like that?"

"It's nothing, Rise-chan. My back's a lot better and it's not like we're running around fighting shadows or anything," he told her. Everyone in the elevator looked at him suspiciously.

"Yeah, Souji-kun's pretty tough, so a minor back pain's nothing to him!" Chie slapped him on the back, completely forgetting about the multiple beatings he had received from Ai's fanboys. He arched his back as he yelled in pain, and as the elevator door opened to let them out, a number of customers stared as they left through the front door.

"Sorry, I-I forgot about that," Chie shamefacedly smiled at him. "I promise, I'll make it up to—"

"Just… go… find… information…" he growled between each breath. She gave him a salute before running off to the shopping district. Everyone else scattered to other parts of the small country town, leaving Souji to figure out where he should start investigating.

_Great way to start the morning—my girlfriend still hates me, Chie kills my sore spot, and my back's not completely healed yet but I have to help investigate. I guess I'll ask around Junes since I'm here already._

He reentered the giant department store and asked around before riding the elevator up to the next floor. Even with a lot of people flooding Junes, none of them seemed to know who the student was.

_What the hell? There're hundreds of people in this damn building! How can none of them know this guy?! No, relax, you're just pissy 'cause MY GIRLFRIEND HATES ME!_

His feet guided him down the elevator back to the first floor. He took one last glance back at the department store before heading towards the Samegawa Flood Plain, thinking that he'll work his way across Inaba to minimize his walking distance.

_Come to think of it, will anyone answer to "Excuse me, but do you know about the high school student suspected of murdering a teacher?" Why not try, "Hey, have you seen a teenage boy with soulless, black eyes and is ugly as hell?" _

Souji started to wonder how people would react if they could hear his thoughts when he saw Yukiko a few yards away from him asking around for information. He darted down the concrete steps to the riverbed, his heart racing in the hopes that she didn't see him.

"Mmm… info on the suspect…"

Souji turned around to see Kanji looking out over the river. He took a few steps towards the large teen to see if he had any new leads.

"Anything new, Kanji-kun?"

"It's pretty tough… Seems like no one knows anything, huh?" He picked up a small rock and threw it as far as he could down the river. "But instead of bitchin' about it, why don't we go right to the source? Just go ask Dojima-san. He's your uncle, right? He'd tell you somethin'."

"I doubt that. Just because he's the detective in charge of the case doesn't mean he's just gonna hand out info for free. But I'll see what I can do," Souji said as he turned to leave. Before completely ascending the stairs he looked around for Yukiko. When he saw that she was no longer there, he briskly walked towards the shopping district to see if his uncle was anywhere around.

_Huzzah! I-I mean, there he is!_ Souji spotted his uncle across the street from the gas station smoking a cigarette. The man looked up and waved to his nephew.

"Looking for your friends?" he asked as he blew smoke off to the side. "Should you really be out and about already? I heard that Ohtani girl did quite a number on you."

_Word really does spread fast here in Inaba. _"I'm fine. Actually, I was wondering if you had any clues about the criminal investigation."

Dojima dropped his cigarette on the ground and crushed it with his shoe. "A clue to the criminal investigation?"

_Here we go…_

"You… I told you not to stick your neck into things! There's no way I'd tell you!"

As he walked away, Souji heard him mumble, "Geez… Damn, where did that Adachi go off to…?"

A small smirk formed on Souji's face as he remembered that Tohru Adachi was his uncle's partner. He headed up to the northern part of the shopping district where he ran into Yukiko.

--

"Y'know, Chie, chomping down on steak skewers and beef bowls hardly counts as part of the investigation," Yosuke reprimanded as he took a seat across from Chie at Souzai Daigaku. Chie swallowed whatever piece of cow she had in her mouth and smiled.

"I know, but all this investigating works up an appetite! Aren't you hungry yet?"

"Yeah, I guess," he said as he swiped a steak skewer off of Chie's plate.

"Hey! Hands off!" she yelled as she tried to grab it back, but Yosuke was too quick for her.

"You've got a beef bowl _and _steak skewers! How much do you need to eat?!"

"Plenty! I'm still a growing girl!"

"One steak skewer isn't gonna make a difference!"

"It makes all the difference! Now give it back!"

As she made another attempt at taking back her food, she saw over Yosuke's shoulder Yukiko and Souji talking.

"Whoa, Yosuke, look at that!"

"I'm not falling for that one," he said as he took a bite of the skewer.

"No! Look!"

He turned around and saw the two talking. There was something about the looks on their faces that said that it wasn't about the investigation.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" he said as he stood up. Chie gobbled down the last of her beef bowl and took up the rest of her skewers before getting up from her own seat.

"It's time for a sidebar investigation!" she declared loud enough for only Yosuke to hear, and the two inched closer to try to listen in on what their friends were talking about.

--

"Adachi-san? I think I saw him over at Junes a few times before," Yukiko said. She found it far from easy to look Souji in the eye. "As for me, I haven't found anything on the suspect, but I'll keep trying."

She turned to leave, but Souji caught her by the hand. "Hold on. There's something I need to talk to you about."

"We can't really talk like this out in the open," she said softly.

"It's urgent."

He released his grasp and she turned back to face him. "Seta-kun, I…"

"Why did you go back to calling me that? It's like you're trying to distance yourself from me. I know I screwed up yesterday, but it was all a misunderstanding!"

She compelled herself to look up into his face and saw grief in his eyes. "I know. Chie explained everything that happened, but I can't help but be upset with you. I'm sorry, but for now, can we just not see each other? If it's for the investigation its fine, but otherwise, I…"

She lowered her head as a lump grew in her throat. She felt the tears begging to flow free, but she fought it back. Souji stood watching her for a few moments before saying anything.

"I understand. We'll only talk if it's absolutely necessary." He took a step away from her. "Good luck on the investigation… Amagi."

She looked up and saw him walk further up the shopping district, unsure if what she asked for was selfish. When her composure was restored, she headed in the opposite direction to increase the distance between them. Behind the bulletin board in front of Souzai Daigaku, Chie and Yosuke made an effort to listen in on what their friends were talking about.

"Didja catch anything they said?" Chie whispered.

"How can I when you're smacking your lips with half a chewed cow in your mouth?!"

"Well excuuuse me! But, you have a point…"

They froze when they heard footsteps walk up to the bulletin board.

_Tutoring and hospital janitor… Both pay really well. With these two jobs I can get that ring in no time! Oh wait, she doesn't wanna see me right now. Crap, what if we end up breaking up over this?_

Souji sighed heavily at the thought of them splitting up. _No wonder it's called the 'Amagi Challenge', it's so damn hard to maintain a relationship with her! But…_

He felt around in his pocket for Yukiko's handkerchief and smiled. _… I can't help but keep trying for her._

"Find a job you like?" Souji's smiled quickly faded as Chie and Yosuke came out from behind the bulletin board. Yosuke looked up and down the bulletin board and saw the two new ads that Souji had just seen.

"Hospital janitor, huh? It's late night, so it's easier to slack off," he pointed out. Chie looked at the other available job.

"They want someone 'understanding' for their tutor. If I were you, I'd go with the tutor job. Hospitals at night give me the creeps," Chie said.

"If you take the janitor job, you won't be held responsible for some kid failing his classes," Yosuke reasoned. Souji appreciated their help, but felt that getting a job was not as important as other things at the moment.

"Jobs can wait. Right now I need one of you to head over to Junes and check if Adachi-san's there."

"What for?"

"Amagi said that he sometimes shows up there. We need to ask him about the suspect since Uncle wouldn't say anything."

"Rise-chan said that she was going to check around Junes. I'll give her a call," Chie said as she whipped out her phone. Yosuke gave Souji a look that he knew wasn't going to be good.

"So, how come you went back to calling her 'Amagi'? Did something happen between you two?"

_Whoopsie._ "No, nothing happened. It's just a force of habit. I got used to calling her that when we first rescued her. Since then, whenever we have investigations I just end up calling her 'Amagi'."

"… Whatever," Yosuke said as he shrugged his shoulders. Chie got off the phone and turned back to the boys.

"She checked, but he wasn't there. Since we have no other clue on his whereabouts, why don't we just call it a day?"

They looked to their leader, who seemed to agree. "Yeah, there's not much else we have to go on right now. Let's call everyone and tell them we're done for the day."

After everyone made calls to the rest of their group, the three headed for Souji's house to drop him off first.

"So, is your back better yet?" Chie asked.

"Yeah. It still aches a bit, but I'm sure it'll be better tomorrow."

"Man, yesterday must've been hell for ya, huh?" Yosuke stretched as he said this. "Getting clobbered by Ebihara's fans, crushed by Hanako…"

"Yukiko had a rough day, too," Chie said absentmindedly. "She got in a fight with Ai-san."

Yosuke stopped dead in his tracks. "What? They had a fight? When?!"

"Yesterday after school. Remember I stayed behind to look for her? I was on the second floor when I heard her and Ai-san yelling about something. It was crazy because they were slapping each other and yelling!"

"No way! What were they yelling about?"

"I dunno, but Souji-kun was there, too." They both turned their gazes inwards at their leader, and he felt himself shrink.

"You witnessed it all? Dude, tell me about it!" Yosuke nudged him with his elbow.

"Okay, okay. After I woke up in the infirmary, Ai-san helped me over to the shoe lockers because I couldn't even stand up by myself. She was about to change into her shoes when Yukiko came running down the hall saying that someone put tacks in her shoes. We checked and someone really did plant tacks in her shoes but Ai-san accused Yukiko-san of doing it."

"What? Yukiko would never do something like that! Why'd she think that?" Chie was furious, but Souji remained unruffled.

"She thought that Yukiko-san was trying to play it nice to steal me away from her. That's when they started fighting."

"So, was Yukiko-san able to explain that you two are just friends?" Yosuke asked.

"Kinda. It's hard to tell since they were hitting each other at the same time."

"Why that little—I'll find her and knock some sense into her!" Chie yelled, but Souji didn't approve.

"Don't hate Ai-san because of all this. It's not her fault that we misunderstood each other."

"I won't. But still, accusing Yukiko of something like that... Ooh, it makes me mad!"

They dropped him off at his house, telling him to get better soon before they go inside the TV world.

"You'll never know, we might end up going tomorrow," Yosuke grinned before leaving with Chie. Souji removed his shoes and sat down at the short table across from his little cousin.

"Welcome back," she smiled before returning her attention back to the TV.

"What're you watching?" he asked.

"It's about a man searching for his real dad," she replied without taking her eyes off the screen. He watched as her head dipped down to the floor. "Real… father…"

"Did you say something?" he asked, and she snapped her head in his direction.

"Hey, Big Bro? What do they mean by 'real'?"

"They mean someone you love a lot," he said warmly, and was welcomed by a nod.

"Oh, okay… Then you're my real big brother!" she giggled. "And Dad's my real father!"

Her smile faded and was replaced by a frown. "But I don't think Dad really loves me… Maybe… Maybe I'm not 'real' to him?"

Souji was stunned by how dark the conversation had become. "Nanako-chan…"

"Daddy doesn't come home because I'm not his 'real' daughter?" she wondered as she turned her face down to the floor.

"Did he say that?"

"…No," she said softly. "Mom… Why'd she leave me? When Mom was still here, we all went out together… We picked flowers at Samegawa…"

_She's so young, but already has so much bottled inside. Poor girl._

"Big Bro…?"

He checked his cell phone for the time and saw that it was already time to put her to bed. "Nanako-chan, I think—"

She looked at him expectantly, and he felt that her bedtime could be moved a little later. "Why don't you tell me what you did today?"

"Yeah! Today I went to…" she cheered up and talked about going to her friend's house, and just seeing her face shining melted away Souji's doubts on his own problems.

_Just seeing her so happy… I feel like Yukiko-san and I can overcome our differences. I hope it's not just a feeling…_

--

The next day, Souji headed straight for Junes feeling better than he'd felt in days. His back was practically back to normal and he felt more willing to wait for Yukiko while she recuperated.

_Just remember to keep your distance. If you rush things, you might push her away,_ he thought as he passed through Junes' front doors. He scanned the first floor and found Adachi muttering to himself in the corner.

"I think I'll stay here a little longer before I go out again…" he heard him say.

_Who could blame you? Even with cloud cover it's still humid outside. _He scooted behind Adachi just enough to surprise him.

"Mm? Aaah! You startled me… Don't sneak up on me like that…!" the flustered man cried.

"Whatcha up to?" Souji grinned mischievously.

"Eh? What was I doing? Oh, uh, you know… Investigating…"

"…I'll tell Uncle…" he said in a sing-song voice, and Adachi cracked.

"D-Did Dojima-san maybe say anything about it? Just keep it a secret from him… Please!" He begged, and Souji knew he had him cornered.

"In exchange for your secret, I'd like information on the suspect."

"…Wait, what? Clues to catch the suspect?" He grimaced as he thought about his circumstances. "If I tell you, will you keep quiet!? Okay then… I'm just talking to myself here, but… He supposedly had a part-time job in the shopping district."

"Where?"

"… I don't think they told me that much."

Souji patted him on the back. "Thank you, Detective, you've been most helpful." He dashed out the door texting everyone to check the stores in the shopping district.

_I've got you now, Miss Sparkle and Shine… _

--

"Wh-Where'd you hear that from? I told him not to tell anyone…"

After asking at a number of stores, Souji finally found the answer he was looking for at Souzai Daigaku.

"… Anyway. Yes, he did work here for a short time. But this was a while ago. He freaked out just from cutting the raw meat. I remember he had black eyes."

"Anything else you can remember about him?" Souji asked. The lady started to hack away at some raw meat.

"… Oh yeah. He said the person who worked here before him was his classmate during middle school… I see that kid—his classmate—around here sometimes. Maybe you should talk to him when you see him."

"What did he look like?"

"I don't know if you'll find him today, but he recently dyed his hair golden brown, so he should be easy to spot."

He thanked the lady and left, sending messages to his friends to find a boy with golden hair. As he passed by the bulletin board, he remembered the two new job openings and decided to take them both.

_With these jobs I'll get that ring in no time! If she's not mad at me anymore,_ he thought as he was approached by a figure in a white skirt and a black top.

"Seta-kun! I found out where our suspect worked!" she called as she ran up to him. He turned around as he tucked the contact numbers of the jobs into his pocket.

"Huh? I just sent out messages to everyone telling them what to look for next," he explained. _Daaamn, she looks good!_

"You did?" Yukiko pulled out her cell phone and saw that she had one new message. "Looks like I was too slow again. Have you seen this golden-haired boy?"

"Not yet. We'll just have to keep on the lookout for him, though."

"Yeah, okay. I'll just… keep searching, then."

She ran off before Souji could say anything, and Souji started to wonder why he and Yukiko were the only ones who seemed to be finding information.

--

Up on the top floor of the Junes food court, Chie, Yosuke, Rise, Kanji and Teddie were gathered to discuss an important topic.

"I called us together to discuss the relationship of two of our dearest friends," Chie announced to their table.

"Uh, Chie-senpai? Shouldn't we be looking for clues about the suspect?" Rise asked.

"Nah, Souji-kun's reliable enough when it comes to those kinds of things and Yukiko's acting as back-up, so it's fine."

"Why're we even doin' this? We have a criminal to catch!" Kanji crushed his soda cup in frustration, but Chie only shook her head.

"We also have two friends who need help. Without us, they'll never realize their feelings for each other!"

"Ooh, ooh! Is it Teddie and Yuki-chan? Or Teddie and Rise-chan? Oh, or maybe it's Teddie and Chie-chan!" Teddie piped up, but Yosuke smashed his palm down on the bear-clad boy.

"Back to work, Ted! There're kids waiting for a certain bear to give them balloons," he growled.

"But, I wanna help our friends!"

"We'll fill you in later, now go!"

The bear shuffled his feet as he went over to the balloon vendor while Chie cleared her throat.

"Okay, for the past few days I've noticed some strange behavior with Yukiko, and I think that she might actually like Souji-kun."

Rise slammed her hands on the table. "No way! Now I've gotta compete with Yukiko-senpai? It was bad enough that that other girl got in my way!"

"Calm down. It's not like he liked her back, anyway," Kanji's low voice rumbled. Rise sat back down in her chair and allowed Chie to continue.

"Now, I've been thinking that Yukiko might be too shy to try to get him for herself, so I called us all together to devise a plan to help push these two together."

"And you're basing all this on the slight possibility that Yukiko-san _might_ like him?" Yosuke took a sip from his soda. "That's not gonna be fair for all the guys that like her."

"Don't forget all the girls that like Souji-senpai!" Rise added.

"And all the ladies that love Teddie!" Teddie called from across the food court. Chie was starting to lose patience with everyone.

"Look, I'm trying to help a friend! I'm not too sure if she does like him, but the least we can do is try to get them together, right?"

"What d'ya want us to do?" Kanji asked with a bored tone. Chie beamed at him.

"Kanji-kun, you've just been promoted to vice president of the 'Finding Love Assisting Manless Yukiko' club!"

"Uh, thanks?" Kanji grunted confusedly while Yosuke thought about the club name.

"We're the 'flamy' club? What the hell?"

"I'll work on the name later, but right now we need to focus on helping Yukiko!"

"Chie-senpai, saying that she's 'manless' is kinda painful on her part," Rise pointed out. Chie let out a roar that scared the children away from Teddie.

"Forget it! I'll take care of it myself!" she yelled as she stomped off towards the elevator. The remaining friends looked at each other.

"Does that mean I'm not vice president anymore?" Kanji asked timidly.

--

_The lady said that he comes around here sometimes. I wonder if today's one of those days._

Souji had walked all up and down the shopping district three times since running into Yukiko, and he hadn't seen a boy with golden hair at all. In fact, he hadn't even seen any of his friends other than Yukiko.

_They wouldn't ditch me, would they? It's not like they went to Junes to drink soda and talk about something completely different from the investigation, right? Either way, if Chie or Yosuke's there, I'm sure those two will have everything under control._

He hiked up the hill to the vending machine by the Konishi liquor store and bought himself a soda. He had just taken a few gulps when he saw Ai walk towards him.

"Souji, can we talk?" she asked quietly. She had a solemn expression on her face and Souji knew that it wasn't a good sign.

"Sure. Do you wanna go somewhere else to talk?" He turned back to the vending machine and bought another soda.

"If that's okay."

"It's fine," he said as he handed her the soda. The two walked in silence to the highest hill overlooking Inaba, sipping their sodas to keep from feeling awkward. At the top of the hill Ai hesitated to talk by taking shorter sips of her soda. When she finished her soda she knew she had no choice but to start talking.

"Well, it's like… I know I said I was fine just being a good friend to you, but… I just can't…"

She took a few steps towards Souji with her arms raised to hug him, but she forced them down to her sides as she regained control of herself. "I can't stop thinking about you. I can't help but think that if your girlfriend did break up with you, I'll have a chance. It's selfish, but…"

Souji ran a hand through his hair. "We actually talked a bit yesterday, and I don't think we're gonna break up."

Ai tried to cover up her sadness with a laugh. "Of course… it's to be expected, especially since it's you." She wiped away a few tears that formed when she laughed.

"It's not all me. It's up to her if we're still together. For now we're just taking some time off from each other until she's comfy."

"It sounds like you have to give up a lot just to make her happy."

"She gave a lot to make me happy, too."

"Like what?"

Souji couldn't help but smile. "She started practicing to cook and had me taste test some of it. We went shopping for ingredients one day and she had bandages on most of her fingers from accidentally cutting and burning herself. She spent a lot of time, money and energy just trying to make me something tasty and even though it wasn't always good, I was still happy just seeing that she was trying hard for me."

Ai was amazed that they were so willing to give so much to one another and found herself slightly jealous of them. "You really love her, don't you?"

He shoved a hand into his pocket and clutched Yukiko's handkerchief. "Yeah… I guess I do."

Ai cast her eyes down to the ground. "Then, I should give up on you…"

Souji wasn't sure how to respond and simply remained silent. He looked up to the sky and saw that the afternoon sunlight was beginning to fade. "We should start heading home before it gets dark."

He started down the hill when he noticed that Ai wasn't following. "Ai-san?"

She snapped back to reality as she ran to catch up to him. Just like their hike up the hill, the walk down the hill was just as silent, only with more tension. As they neared Ai's home, Ai spoke up.

"Souji, if I had met you first, do you think… maybe…"

She stood waiting for an answer. When he didn't say anything, she ran to her front door and was about to shut it when he called to her.

"I think there might've been a chance," he said. He saw her expression soften before she shut the door.

_I wonder what would've happened if I did meet her first. Would it have made a difference? What if Ai-san was the one thrown into the TV instead of Yukiko-san? Would I have fallen for her instead?_

He returned home and was about to head up to his room when he remembered the jobs he planned to take. As he stood by the front door, he pulled out the two contact numbers from his pocket and decided to try the tutoring job first.

"Are you going out?" Nanako asked.

"Yeah. There's a job I saw and I thought I might check it out."

"Okay. Good luck!"

As he left the house, he wondered just how hard a tutoring job could be.

--

"… I'm Shu Nakajima. Nice to meet you," the boy with glasses said in a nasal voice.

"I'm sorry, he's just a shy boy," his mother told Souji. "But he's so smart, you know? He got the highest score in his class on his last test, and the teacher—"

"Mom! Enough of that. We're going to study now, so get out."

_Yeesh, kid. At least kick her out nicely._

Shu's mother started chatting about her son being in his second year of middle school and that he needed to start looking at high schools to apply. Souji could see that Shu wasn't too pleased with her at all.

"Mom! That's enough I said…!"

"Oh my, I guess you're right. Well then, Souji-kun, please make sure you teach him well." Before she left, she smiled at her son. "Study hard, Shu-chan, okay?"

With a final nod to Souji, she left the room. When Shu saw that they were finally alone, he looked Souji straight in the eye and said, "Souji-san, right? Let me tell you up front: I have no intention of attending Yasogami High."

_Oh well, I'm getting paid to deal with this punk. I wonder how much I get on my first day. I hope it's a lot…_

"…The cram school I was going to wasn't that good, so I decided I needed to switch to private tutoring. You were the only one available, so…" he continued, but Souji continued to look at him with a blank stare. "If I think you're inadequate, I'll have you replaced immediately. Remember that."

"Don't worry about me." _You little asshole. I-I mean, you prince, you… heh heh heh…_

"…Of course I'm concerned. I'd rather not waste time introducing myself to a stream of prospective tutors," Shu said, still with an arrogant tone. "Then, what should we start with? I don't have any subjects that I'm particularly bad at."

_Then why the hell do you need a tutor? If you're so smart, go make a living by teaching little assholes like yourself!_ "Let's try PE," Souji said with a cool tone, but Shu was not amused.

"That's not funny," he glared at Souji, but the older boy was laughing in his head. For the remainder of the night they worked on math. For the most part, it was quiet and Shu didn't talk back to Souji at all.

"You were a good tutor. It was easy for me to understand what you were talking about," Shu said once their session was over.

_He praised me! This kid's not so bad after all._

"… I'm sure my natural intelligence had something to do with that as well, of course," Shu bragged.

_Forget what I thought before. You're a dick._

Even though he made that remark about his smarts, Shu welcomed Souji to come back and tutor him again. On his way out, Shu's mother handed him a small envelope.

"Thank you. Shu looks like he enjoyed your lesson," she said pleasantly.

"That's good. I'll try to come back again next week, is that okay?"

"Yes, I think he'd like that, too. Good night."

"Good night," Souji said over his shoulder as he left. When he got back home, he opened the envelope to find ten thousand yen inside.

_Very nice. Guess this means I gotta stop being an asshole in my mind. Nah, I'll try to be nicer later. I wonder why I was such a jerk to that Nakajima kid. Well, partially because he deserved it, but that was overkill on my part. At least I didn't say any of it._

He changed into his pajamas and brushed his teeth before sliding into his futon. As he lay there he wondered how much time Yukiko needed before they could start seeing again.

_I hope it's not too long. It's cool that she's willing to talk to me about the investigation, but still…_

He rolled over on his side. _I miss Girlfriend…_


	10. Chapter 10

After breakfast on that cloudy, Friday morning, Souji was up in his room preparing for yet another day of investigating. He flipped up the collar on his white shirt, admiring himself in the mirror on the inside of his closet door.

_I am one sexy piece of ass,_ he grinned broadly at himself. _Nah, I'm just an asshole. Better stop before someone reads my thoughts._

He took a step towards the mirror and raised his bangs to look at his forehead. Above his right eyebrow was a thin scab from when he hit his head on the floor after Hanako fell on him. He poked at it a few times before letting his bangs fall back over his forehead and heading downstairs.

"Nanako-chan, I'm going out," he called over his shoulder as he tied his shoe laces. "Do you have any plans for today?"

The young girl unglued her eyes from the TV to respond. "Not really, just some laundry and the dishes."

_Not what I meant by plans. The poor girl is deprived of a social life and sunshine._ "Uh, okay. But don't you have friends to hang out with?"

"They're all on vacation with their families," she said, trying to sound as indifferent as possible, but Souji could hear the gloominess in her voice.

"Oh. Hey, one of these days we'll do something together. Sound good?" Even though Souji can be a jerk in his mind, he still worried about his little cousin.

"Really?" Nanako stood up from the table and ran over to him. "You promise?"

"Well, yeah. It's summer vacation, so people should do stuff on their vacation," he said as he patted her head.

"Yeah! Let's 'pinky swear' just to be sure!" she said as she stuck out her pinky to him. He took his own pinky and hooked it around hers.

_When was the last time I 'pinky swore' to anything?_ He wondered as they parted. _Oh well, I just hope I can keep that promise,_ he thought as he jogged straight to the shopping district.

--

At the Samegawa River Plain, Yukiko and Chie were asking around for a boy with golden-brown hair. When their efforts yielded no results, they moved on towards another location.

"So, where were you and the others yesterday?" Yukiko asked as they walked down the river plain.

"Huh? I was, y'know… investigating, of course!" Chie said before spotting a person they hadn't asked yet. She left Yukiko's side briefly to ask for information but returned soon after without learning anything new.

"Man! No one knows anything about this boy!" she sighed as she tried fanning herself with her hand. Yukiko tilted her head at her friend.

"Are you sure you were investigating? The only one I ran into all day yesterday was Seta-kun. I didn't even see Kanji-kun, or Rise-chan, or even Yosuke-kun. Come to think of it, these past few days felt like Seta-kun was the only one actually finding anything," she said in a slightly accusing tone.

"Well, it was like this when we were trying to find out more about Rise-chan, right? Souji-kun's just got a knack for gathering info. By the way, why are you calling him 'Seta-kun' all of a sudden? Did something happen between you two?" Chie gasped as she trotted ahead and pointing a threatening finger at her. "Did you two get in a huge fight?!"

Yukiko frowned, gaining more control over the panic that usually crippled her thoughts. "Not this again. What's wrong with calling him 'Seta-kun'? I used to call him that when we first started rescuing people."

"So why go back to calling him that?"

"Sometimes I call him 'Souji-kun' and sometimes 'Seta-kun'. What's wrong with that?"

"It's just weird, because he started calling you 'Amagi' again, too. Kinda strange that you two would revert to calling each other those things at the same time…"

"And you and Yosuke-kun hanging out more is normal," Yukiko muttered, but Chie heard it clearly.

"Back to that again? I already told you there's nothing going on between us!"

_This sounds familiar. _"If that's the case, then there's nothing going on between me and Seta-kun, either."

"Fine! Nothing's going on between you and Souji-kun, and me and Yosuke are just friends," Chie said with finality in her voice, but Yukiko was still unsure of something.

_If they're just friends, how come they dropped the honorifics for each other's names? The both of us have only known Yosuke-kun for barely a year now. _

Yukiko looked up to the cloudy sky. "I wonder if Seta-kun found the golden-haired boy yet?"

"He probably did, since finding random things is one of his talents," Chie said as she started walking.

"That's true. Even with his back out, he still found out more things that then rest of us combined," Yukiko sighed. "He should've gotten some rest, though."

"But if he did, we probably wouldn't have found out anything."

Yukiko shook her head. "I don't think we're so incompetent that we can't even ask people if they know anything about the suspect. He just happened to ask the right people before any of us."

"See, it's when you say things like this that makes people wonder if you have feelings for him or not," Chie said as she tugged at her green tank top. It started to cling to her from the mixture of humidity and perspiration. "Let's go to Junes—it's too hot to stay out here like this."

"What about that boy we have to find? We can't find him if—"

"I'm sure even golden-haired boys like to enjoy Junes' air conditioning on hot days like this," Chie grinned as she hooked her arm around Yukiko's and started pulling her towards the department store. Her friend shifted her weight to resist.

"Seta-kun's out in the same heat looking for the same person. He's working hard even with his injuries so we can't just give up because it's too hot!"

"Oh, come on!" Chie cried in a shrill voice. "It's been days since his accident and he was walking around fine two days ago! He should be healed by now!"

Yukiko glanced around at the people staring at them from Chie's outburst. "I… I guess," she said meekly. However, this didn't stop Chie from declaring her thoughts in public.

"Seriously, the way you're worried about him just now, it's like you're his girlfriend or something!" she yelled, not caring whether anyone heard her or not. She knew Yukiko was hiding something from her, and she refused to believe that her best friend did not have feelings for their leader.

"Ch-Chie, not so loud—people are staring," Yukiko whispered as her cheeks became rosy, but instead, her friend stared into her eyes at point-blank range.

"Okay, Yukiko. Just tell me the truth—do you or do you not like Souji-kun?"

--

Souji began his search from the northern end of the shopping district to take advantage of walking down the hill the district was on. As he passed the Konishi liquor store, he saw a familiar underclassman cleaning the windows.

"'Morning, Naoki-kun," he greeted the pale boy. Naoki turned around and smiled at him.

"Souji-san. Good morning," he said in his soft and soothing voice.

"Working hard over the summer?"

"Yeah. There's more to do since my sister…"

Souji felt the stab of guilt as he realized what he unintentionally led Naoki to think about his deceased older sister, Saki. A few days after moving to Inaba, Souji met her at Junes. The following morning, her body was discovered hanging from a telephone pole as the second victim of a serial murder. Yosuke, who was quite fond of her, had difficulty recovering from her death, but eventually was able to move beyond her passing with the help of Souji. It was from that tragedy that their bond was strengthened, transfiguring Yosuke's persona Jiraiya into Susano-O.

Souji smiled, knowing that the Konishi boy didn't like pity. "Good to see you've found a way to help the business."

Naoki slung the rag his was cleaning with over his shoulder. "It's not much, but my parents seem to appreciate it. Do you have plans for today?"

"Yeah, I kinda do. Have you seen a guy with golden-brown hair around here?"

The pale boy ran his fingers through his smooth, blonde hair. "I think I've seen that guy before. He was here the day before yesterday showing something off to his friends."

Souji turned and started heading down the hill. "Thanks, Naoki-kun! We'll hang out later!" he shouted over his shoulder. Naoki waved at him before resuming wiping the store's windows.

He jogged down the hill and found the boy he was looking for in front of the Marukyu Tofu Shop.

_How coincidental—he's right in front of Rise-chan's house. But, there's no Rise-chan nearby. Where the hell is she? Our boy's right at her front door!_

He approached the boy, who was wearing a school uniform with a yearbook tucked under his arm.

_Oh, I guess he's taking summer classes. No wonder we couldn't find him anywhere. He should've gotten that Nakajima kid to tutor him. _

The boy looked at Souji and saw him eyeing his yearbook. "Huh? You wanna see my yearbook?"

Souji was slightly confused that the boy wasn't bothered by him staring. "What?"

The boy smirked as he took a step towards Souji. "Oh, are you looking for… him? You wanna see his picture?"

_Not really—I prefer pretty people. Heck, even all my friends are pretty. And then there's Kanji, who's actually kinda fabulous. I like to call him 'Mr. Fabulous'. Let's face it—I'm shallow._

The boy didn't wait for Souji's answer and started flipping through his yearbook. "Heh heh, you do, don't you? Well, today's your lucky day, because me and my friends are going around showing it to everyone! Want a copy?"

The boy snapped his book shut and dug a small, wrinkled picture from his pocket. Souji recognized the boy in the picture as the one he saw on the Midnight Channel. Underneath the picture read "Mitsuo Kubo."

"Uh… thanks," Souji said without taking his eyes off the picture. _Hmm, he looks familiar… Why do I feel a hint of anger when I just look at him? Maybe it's because he's ugly. Damn, I really am shallow…_

The boy left to continue showing his yearbook to more people while Souji continued down the hill where he encountered a stern-faced Chie and a troubled Yukiko.

--

Several people stopped to watch the two girls who seemingly engaged in a slight argument. The timid-looking one looked like she was about to cry while the aggressive one continued to press her for information.

"Well? Do you or don't you like Souji-kun?" Chie narrowed her eyes at her friend, wanting to know the absolute truth between her friends. Yukiko felt that familiar twinge in her chest as she felt panic rise up in her.

_Just tell her no, that's all. Do what Seta-kun does and keep calm. _In her mind, she imagined herself casually telling Chie that there was nothing going on between her and Souji and that she was just overreacting to her friend worrying about their leader.

_"Of course there's nothing between us—we're just friends," _Yukiko imagined herself say.

_"Really? But you two seem so close," _she made Chie say in her mind. _"You're always so worried about him."_

_"I worry about all my friends like this. If you were the one that Hanako-san fell on, I would've been just as worried. After all, you're my prince, Chie."_

"Yukiko!"

Yukiko's imagination cleared as her eyes focused on Chie's heated face. _I probably shouldn't use that 'prince' thing out in the open. So, what now?_

"Well… It's kinda like…" she started, and her mind blanked out as she tried to give an excuse as to why she can't like him. "I mean, can you really picture me with a boy like him?"

"Why not? You two look good together," Chie crossed her arms over her chest.

"It's not just about looking good together. What about the kind of person he is?" _I have no idea where I'm going with this…_

"Yukiko, he's a cute guy with a good brain! And he's so honest that he wouldn't even lead Ebihara on to thinking that they're dating!"

_Ebihara… Ai-san? Wait, that's it!_

"But, wasn't Ai-san the one that Souji-kun was buying all those nice things for?" Yukiko held her arm from behind her back, hoping that she could somehow wriggle her way out of the situation.

"Yeah, so? He admitted to that problem already," Chie put her hands on her hips. "We're helping him get over—"

"I can't like a guy who just goes around buying expensive jewelry for any pretty girl!" Yukiko heard herself say. "Just because he's good-looking and smart doesn't make him an ideal man for me!"

Chie heard whispering around them and saw that a few more people had gathered to watch them. "Yukiko, calm down…"

"No! You keep asking why I won't ask him out, and here's why—I HATE EVERY FIBER OF HIS BEING!"

Yukiko was breathing hard, hoping that her declaration was enough for Chie. When her breath was back to normal, she noticed that her friend was staring at something behind her.

"What is it?" she asked as she turned around. Souji was standing a few feet behind her, having heard everything that the girls were talking about.

"Seta-kun! N-No, I—"

"It's okay," he said with a pained smile. "I got our info, so just call everyone to meet at Junes as soon as possible."

Yukiko could only utter a tiny noise as Souji turned his back on them and ran. Even though she knew it was pointless, she reached her hand out to him, trying to regain any possibility of them ever getting back together again. She felt a hand on her shoulder as Chie guided her away from the shopping district and back to her house to prepare to meet everyone at Junes.

--

The group of teens met at their special headquarters at Junes' food court wearing their school uniforms to sneak in their weapons. When everyone had assembled (Kanji being late from oversleeping) they took the elevator down to the electronics department to enter their usual TV into the TV world. As they entered the TV one by one, Yukiko felt a crestfallen aura flowing from Souji and knew that she had to fix the damage she had done to him.

Inside the TV world, a thick fog blanketed what looked like a movie set, with giant lights up high on the scaffolding surrounding them. Horizontal ladders connected the small island platform they stood on to other parts of the strange world. The team stood in a circle and Souji handed Rise the photo he had obtained earlier to hold out for everyone to see.

"That's him all right… It's definitely the guy on the Midnight Channel!" Yosuke proclaimed as he put on the special glasses Teddie made for him. Everyone in the circle put on their own pair of glasses that allowed them to see through the fog.

"It's settled then," he continued. "He _is_ the killer… and he's in here now!"

Rise scrunched her face up at the picture. "This guy came to our shop before… Was he… spying on me?"

Everyone stared at the photo as Rise came up with a startling conclusion. "Oh my god… I really was being targeted…"

Kanji started to grind his teeth. "Dammit! Freakin' punk!" His anger prevented him from saying anything more.

"Hey, I've seen him before too… Hmm…" Chie rubbed her chin in thought. "Oh, now I remember! Yukiko, it's that one guy!"

Six pairs of eyes flew to the girl whose mind had wandered to other things. "That one guy…?" she repeated idly.

"Back in April, remember? He suddenly came in and started hitting on you!" Chie's voice rose as she tried to remind her of who the boy was. Yosuke was the next one to remember who he was.

"Oh, him! The dude who got served by Yukiko-san in front of the school!" Yosuke laughed a little. "Man, Chie, how'd you remember something like that?"

Chie tightened her jacket around her waist. "Well, that was the first time he talked to her, but I remember he was always following her around."

Souji felt his anger flare up as he also remember who the boy was. _That bastard! How dare he follow my girlfri—oh wait, she hates every fiber of my being now…_

He felt like someone had taken his katana and ran him through the stomach, but he didn't show it. On his left, Yukiko tilted her head, still unsure of whom the boy was.

"Um… Sorry, who are we talking about?"

Yosuke recalled another thing that the boy had said to her. "The dude who came right up to you at the school gates and called you Yuki!"

Yukiko stood there, staring deeply into the photo and slowly started to remember. "Ohhhh…"

Chie and Yosuke sighed with relief that she started to remember, until she crushed their relief by saying, "Uhh… Really?"

_If she didn't hate me, I'd think that she was just adorable right there,_ Souji felt something click in her mind.

"Wait, did he kidnap Yukiko to get back at her for rejecting him?!"

Across the circle from her, Yukiko winced. "Um… I didn't really reject him…"

"He came up to me while I was busy working and asked, 'Don't the biker gangs bother you?'" Rise added. "Just going on and on about how biker gangs can't do anything unless they're in a pack and stuff… He seemed to be the type who just keeps talking, whether you like it or not… if that makes sense. I usually treat those people politely so they won't get offended, but I was so tired that I kinda ignored him.

"Was that why I was kidnapped…?" she asked. It seemed like too small a reason for her to be kidnapped, but then Kanji reacted to what Rise had said about biker gangs.

"Huh…? Wait, I'm not a biker!" he said with wide eyes. "Ugh… That damn special report… So that's why I got dragged into this."

The group fell silent for a moment before Chie brought up another point about the suspect. "You know, I heard he'd been saying stuff about that announcer's affair, too. Lots of mutterings about how women who cheat on their husbands should be executed."

"Sounds like it's all coming together," Yosuke said as he produced a pair of kitchen knives from his pockets. "Well, it's time for a showdown! Can you tell us where this Mitsuo guy's at?" he asked Rise.

"I'll give it a try. Just a sec…" Rise said, and summoned her persona, Himiko, to locate Mitsuo. A dark, female figure in white robes descended from above and held a set of goggles onto Rise's eyes while it swiveled its satellite-like head from side to side for a better reading.

"…Yeah! I found him!" Rise cried excitedly. She pointed straight ahead in front of her. "He's that way."

As her persona dematerialized, Chie did a small fist pump. "Alright, let's go! We're so close to the killer… We can't lose him now!"

--

They followed the direction that Rise had pointed them towards until they came upon a pixilated area. The appearance of the sky, clumpy trees, a small grassy area, a bridge and even the water were made of three dimensional pixels. Floating somewhere in the sky were the words "Game Start" and "Continue".

"What is this…? Some kind of game?" Chie took in the scene before her with disapproval.

"Well, he did taunt us, saying 'Try and catch me'… I guess he thinks of all this as a game," Yosuke replied. Chie stomped the cubed ground, letting her frustration out.

"Ohhh, this pisses me off! I hereby sentence him to a hundred kicks to the face!" She looked to the rest of the team. "Let's go!"

"Let the games begin!" Souji's voice boomed as he raised a fist in the air. He knew that he couldn't let his depressed mood get in the way of his friends' safety. Yosuke winked.

"Gotta admit… All guys love games," he grinned.

"And all girls love Teddie!" Teddie beamed. The other six members started forward to leave him behind.

"So, who gets to fight first?" Chie asked Souji. "Now that Rise-chan's our guide, Teddie's able to fight."

They stopped short of the entrance which looked like a cave with a horned skull hanging over the entrance. Souji looked from one friend to another. "We'll go with the most experienced in our group first. Since we don't know what we're gonna be up against, we can't just let Teddie into battle without even knowing if our best fighters can handle it."

"So, it's you, me, Yukiko and Yosuke that fights first?"

Souji clenched his jaw at the sound of Yukiko's name. "Yeah. Kanji and Teddie will be back-up for now. Later when we figure out what the shadows' strengths and weaknesses are, we can start training Teddie."

"Man, and I wanted to pound some shadows, too," Kanji sighed. Yosuke eyed the boy's weapon of choice.

"Kanji… How'd you manage to sneak a desk from Yasogami High all the way here to Junes?"

Kanji lifted the desk from one of its legs and rested it on his shoulder. "Dunno. No one really asked me to leave it or anything."

"We'll get you something easier to bring another time," Chie said with nervous laughter. "Okay, let's get going!"

--

"Yosuke! Garula!"

"Come, Susano-O!"

A blue card fell before Yosuke and he shattered it with one of his knives, summoning a persona that had the appearance of a man in a blue jumpsuit with a towering, red wig and a bladed hula-hoop. A blast of wind slashed at one of the stone arms they encountered, but it didn't damage as severely as they had hoped.

"Chie! Mabufu!"

"Now, Suzuka Gongen!" Chie yelled as she smashed the blue card in front of her face. What looked like an armor-clad, samurai woman appeared and ice formed around the four stone arms before bursting, but still it did not slow the shadows down. One of the arms crept up to Yosuke and sent its sword crashing down on him.

"Ha!" He yelled as he successfully dodged it. Another arm made its way up to him, but he stopped its blade with his own little knives. While he struggled with that shadow, Chie went over to try to help him, leaving Souji and Yukiko to deal with three other stone arms.

"Amagi! Maragion!" Souji shouted as he swung his katana at the nearest arm. Yukiko looked over at Yosuke and saw that he was still struggling with the arm.

"I can't! I might hit Yosuke-kun!" she told him, and instead attacked with her fan. Off to the side, Rise, Kanji and Teddie watched, fighting the urge to step in and help.

"Senpai! Look out!" Rise yelled, but one of the arms swept its sword across and caught Souji off guard, knocking him off his feet. The wind was knocked out of him and the cut above his eyebrow reopened, allowing some blood to trickle down his face.

"Yosuke… Magaru…" he wheezed, and once Yosuke finally got the arm off of him, he sent a few blasts of weak wind at the enemies. Chie ran up and delivered several kicks to the weakest arm, immobilizing it for a few moments. When she saw it was down, she ran over to Souji and helped him to his feet.

"You okay?" she asked quickly before running off to continue fighting. Souji had to close his right eye to prevent any blood from dripping in, but through his left eye he saw a hint of jealousy from Yukiko before she cast Maragion, causing four explosions of fire to incinerate the enemies. With that final spell, the arms all disappeared.

"Are you okay, Senpai?" Rise ran up to Souji, followed by everyone else. She took out her handkerchief and dabbed at the blood that was trying to get into his eye. He saw her pull a face as she examined the cut.

"For a small cut, it makes quite the mess," he heard Yosuke say. "Hey, let's just use Dia and heal him."

Yukiko nodded. "Right. Here, hold still—"

"Ooh! Ooh! Let Teddie try!" Teddie bounced on his toes excitedly.

"Huh? You can heal now, Ted?" Kanji asked.

"Uh huh! And I can also cast ice like Chie-chan!" He smiled. "I'm just like everyone—I can trace people like Rise-chan, I can use ice like Chie-chan, and I can heal like Yuki-chan!"

Yukiko forced a smile. "Then let's let Teddie heal him. Go ahead, Teddie."

The bear cheered happily as he danced around his friends. Rise couldn't share his joy and grabbed him roughly. "Hurry up and heal Senpai before he bleeds to death!" She shoved him towards Souji and he took out his claws.

"Come, Kintoki-Douji!" he said happily as he smashed the blue card before him; what looked like a round, red piñata with a blue cape holding a missile appeared above his head and cast Mediarama on everyone.

"Whoa, he knows _that_ spell already?" Yosuke felt his vitality return instantly. "Dude, even Yukiko-san doesn't know that one yet!"

"Hey, Yukiko's been doing a great job healing us so far," Chie defended her friend, but the damage had been done—Yukiko couldn't help but begin to feel the bite of inferiority.

Souji reached up and touched where his cut had been and felt that it was completely healed. "Thanks, Teddie. I'm counting on you and Yukiko-san to be our healers, okay?"

"You got it, Sensei!" Teddie turned and faced Yukiko. "Yuki-chan, let's work together to heal everyone!"

Yukiko had a blank look on her face as she sank back into her thoughts. _… Am I useless?_

"Yuki-chan? A-Are you alright? You don't look so good," Teddie frowned. "Do ya need a hug?"

Yukiko peered down at the bear and smiled. "Oh, Teddie. Don't worry about me. I was just… thinking about how busy our inn's going to be tomorrow," she said as she patted his fuzzy head.

"Yukiko-senpai won't be able to come tomorrow?" Kanji said as he adjusted his glasses.

"Unfortunately no, but I'll be free on Sunday," Yukiko told him. "It'll be all right, now that Teddie can heal."

"Yeah, but it's better when everyone's here," Chie reassured her. "Everyone's free on Sunday, right?"

"I'm free—"

"Yeah—"

"I'm never busy—"

"Yup—"

"How about you, Souji-kun?" Chie asked. Souji was still tapping where his cut once was when he was addressed.

"Huh? Oh, yeah. Sure."

"Alright! Then it's settled! Yukiko, we're not going anywhere near the TV without you!" Chie grinned. Yukiko felt a little better, but it still wasn't enough to completely remove the sinking feeling in her gut.

--

The rest of the day they spent exploring every bit of the first four floors. By early evening, it was decided that while Yukiko was helping out her inn, Souji and a few others would head to Daidara Metal Works and get some new weapons.

"C'mon, Yukiko," Chie said as she tugged her friend's hand towards the inn. The two said "good night" to everyone and headed up the river.

"I was thinking that… maybe I was wrong," Chie said once they were alone. "After what you said today, I guess you really don't like Souji-kun."

"Took you long enough," Yukiko said bitterly. "But still, he heard some things that I didn't mean for him to hear."

"You'd better call him tonight and apologize. I bet today was awkward for him."

"It was awkward for me, too. But you're right, I really should apologize."

They walked through the humid stillness without exchanging another word until Chie asked for Yukiko's fan.

"Whew! It's so hot!" Chie huffed as she fanned herself. "I wish I could use Bufu in our world…"

When Yukiko didn't say anything, she glanced over at her and saw a gloomy look on her face. "Hey, Yukiko?"

Slowly the melancholy girl turned her head to look at her friend and found her smiling back. "Just because Teddie has a better healing spell doesn't mean we don't need you anymore."

"Chie…" Yukiko cracked a small smile. "…Thanks."

The rest of the way to the inn was noiseless, for Chie was afraid that she might say something that would bring down Yukiko's mood again. Yukiko was still wondering if she was ready to face Souji. At the inn, Yukiko bid her friend "good night" and went to her room to collect her things for a nice hot bath. As she gathered up a fresh yukata, the shrine charm fell from the drawer she pulled the folded cloth from. She stooped to pick it up and held it up to the light.

"I guess I really should take you with me wherever I go," she said to the small, red pouch. "But I don't want to waste any of the good luck you possess before I give you to…"

She sighed and looked at her cell phone on her table, thinking about the person that was supposed to receive her little gift and wondered if he was thinking of her, too.

--

"Welcome home, Big Bro!"

"Hey, Nanako-chan," Souji called lifelessly as he entered the house. He kicked his shoes off and flopped on the couch, completely drained from running around inside the TV world and hearing what Yukiko had to say about her thoughts on him.

"_I HATE EVERY FIBER OF HIS BEING!"_ resounded in his mind as he laid face-down on the lumpy couch. He heard the sound of little feet as they padded up to him from the short table.

"Hey, are you okay? Are you not feeling well?" Nanako asked. "Do you have a cold?"

"I'm alright, Nanako-chan," Souji told her, his voice muffled by the squashy purple pillow. "Just not having a very good day."

The little girl bit her lip, unsure of what she could do to cheer him up. She suddenly smiled as she remembered something she made for him earlier that day. She ran to her room to retrieve it and ran back excitedly.

"Here! I heard that you got the highest score on your tests, so I made this for you!" she said gleefully as she held the item out to him. Souji turned his head towards her and sat up to get a better look at the homemade present. A folded piece of paper adorned with the words "Best In Class!" sat in her hands, and he took it to get a better look. He saw a small drawing of himself holding up a golden trophy, and he couldn't help but smile.

"It's an armband, so you can show everyone that you got good grades!" Nanako smiled. Souji reached out and hugged her.

"Thanks, Nanako-chan. This helped a lot," he said softly before letting her go. The little girl giggled when she saw the smile on his face.

"You're welcome, Big Bro! Oh, did you eat yet? I'm boiling some water to make ramen," she said as she looked to the kitchen. Souji stood up and went over to the stove.

"Wanna grab two bowls of ramen for me?" he asked as the kettle began to whistle. Nanako pulled two bowls of instant ramen out from the pantry and handed them to him to pour hot water in. He carried both bowls to the short table while his cousin grabbed two sets of chopsticks for them to use.

"Did Uncle call yet?" he asked as they waited for their noodles to cook.

"Yeah, but he said he's gonna be late again," she said as she took some juice out from the refrigerator. She grabbed two glasses and set them on the table. "He's been really busy lately."

"He sure has," Souji muttered as he subconsciously tapped the area above his eyebrow. "Have you been eating anything besides ramen?"

"No, I also ate cereal, eggs and toast," she replied as she poured juice into their cups. "I'm practicing to make scrambled eggs, but I still don't get how to make them fluffy."

Her cousin smiled again. "It's easy. First you whisk the eggs until the yolk's completely broken, then you add milk to make it fluffy…"

--

After their meal, Nanako set up the bath for Souji while he washed the dishes. He insisted that she didn't have to since he was only washing chopsticks and two cups, but she readied it anyway. When the bath was ready, he went in and washed himself quickly to hurry and relax in the tub. He inhaled deeply and dunked his head in the nearly-scalding water, his tense muscles loosening up slowly. When he resurfaced, he leaned his head back against the warm tub and found his mind roaming back to the events that had taken place earlier.

_Yukiko-san… Do you really hate me that much, or was it a front to throw Chie-chan off? It was pretty extreme to just be something to throw her off. Does that mean she really hates me?_

He dunked his head back underwater again and stayed under for as long as he could hold his breath. After about a minute, he sat up and gasped for air, wiping water out of his face and slicking his hair back so the stray strands would stay out of his eyes. It was only then that he heard his cell phone ringing.

_Dammit, who's calling while I'm hot, wet and naked?_ He made a move to get out of the bath, but stopped when his phone fell silent.

_Hmph, jerk. Messin' with my bath time…_

--

Yukiko hung up her cell phone when she heard Souji's voice mail answer her call. She decided to have dinner before calling to give him time to return home and eat dinner as well, but apparently he was either busy with something else or ignoring her call. She set her phone back down on her desk, took up her extra clothes and rode the elevator down to the first floor, simply wanting to soak thoroughly to wash away the feelings of guilt that sat at the pit of her stomach. She had taken a step outside the elevator when she nearly walked right into her mother.

"Oh! Sorry, Mother, I wasn't paying attention," she said with a frown. Her mother smiled briefly before noticing the look on her daughter's face.

"Is everything alright? Lately you seem rather depressed about something," she said as she placed a hand on Yukiko's cheek. "Did something happen with your friends?"

Yukiko looked at her mother, whose face was almost identical to her own. "No, everything's all right, Mother. I'm just a little tired, that's all."

She received a worried look. "I suppose it's the heat and the stress of having so many customers. Make sure you get plenty of sleep tonight—I need your help early morning."

"I will," she said, and her mother left her to tend to some business elsewhere. As she walked quickly down the hall, she turned around to see her daughter head down another hallway to the hot springs.

"Hurry and mend things with Seta-kun, Yukiko," the woman whispered to herself before going to the kitchen.

--

Souji was lying on his futon in the dark, hugging his pillow tightly with one hand while his other hand held his cell phone before him. The word 'Yukiko' was lit up on the screen as a missed call.

_Call back!_ A part of his brain told him.

_No! You promised you'd leave her alone!_ Another part argued.

_If you don't, you might completely lose her!_

_If you do, you might piss her off even more!_

_She probably called about something important!_

_She could've dialed the wrong number and didn't realize it until she heard your voice mail._

_Shut up!_

_No, you shut up!_

Souji ground his knuckles into his temples as he clenched his jaw. _Oh my god, now I'm arguing with myself! When will all this shit stop happening?! Is it because I've been a major asshole? It's not like I'm actually saying it for anyone to hear! It shouldn't even count for the whole karma crap!_

He rolled over to his side and stared at the wall, finding that as tired as he was, his mind was incredibly restless and wouldn't let him sleep. The heat was thicker on the second floor, and his electric fan in the corner did little to cool the room down. He threw his long-sleeved shirt off of his back and tore his black pants right off his body, thankful that it was the kind that buttoned all the way down the sides.

_If I get enough money, I'm investing in an air conditioner,_ he thought miserably as he laid there wearing only a thin pair of boxer shorts. _Either that or I'll visit the Velvet Room and summon King Frost. Maybe I'll even get Nanako-chan her own Jack Frost that she can carry around in a backpack…_

An hour passed and he still couldn't sleep. He began cursing global warming again while imagining himself yelling at Shu to use his brain to turn the humidity into snow.

_I want me some snow…_

--

Author's note: sorry for the late chapter. I've been pretty busy these past two weeks and I've fallen behind on chapters since Chapter 8. Once again, I'm sorry for my tardiness, and I thank you for your patience and support! Your reviews keep inspiring me to continue to write!


	11. Chapter 11

_Hmph! The nerve! He never called back! Who does he think he is?!_

Bright and early on that sunny Saturday morning, Yukiko was already up and waxing the first floor corridors. With her yukata tied up at the bottom and her sleeves held up by a thin strip of spare cloth, she ran on all fours with a small rag up and down the length of the hallway, filled with boundless energy fueled by her fury from Souji. None of the inn's customers were awake yet, making it the ideal time for Yukiko to clean the floors—if any customers were around while she was cleaning in this manner, they might find themselves with a different kind of service than what the Amagis intended. Still, Yukiko checked from time to time to make sure she wasn't accidentally exposing herself.

_I guess I should thank Mother for having me do this when no one's around. And I suppose Father's right about me slacking off lately, what with the investigations and all, but that doesn't give him the right to scold me in front of the customers!_

At the end of the hall, she straightened herself up and felt her back and shoulders pop a few times. With a groan, she stretched and admired the fine work she had done in the hallway.

_It's only seven in the morning, but it's already this hot,_ she thought as she picked up the rag and added more wax to it. _Last night wasn't so good, either. Now I'm the one that wishes Chie could use Bufu in our world._

She peered down the connecting corridor and sighed at the long stretch before her. Resuming her waxing position, she ran down the length of the corridor and repeated this action up to the third floor. By the time she was finished, it was already ten o'clock. She went to her room and collapsed at her table, resting her head on her arms. She was able to rest for a moment before her mother came in.

"Beautiful job waxing the floors, Yukiko," she said to her daughter. "I know you're tired, but I need you to pick up all the yukata we ordered. Can you please go into town and get them?"

Yukiko exhaled slowly before sitting up. "Yes, Mother. I'll go."

Her mother stroked her hair lovingly on her way out the door. Before closing the door fully, she whispered, "He only means well, so don't take it too personally. Just try to be nice to him for now; he'll come around eventually."

"Mother… what are you—" she started to ask, but the door had shut before she could finish. _Was she talking about Father? There's no way she could possibly know about Souji-kun. Even if it was him, what is it about not calling back that says he 'means well?' But then, she must be talking about Father…_

She changed into her normal outerwear before traveling down the river plain, still wondering why her mother would say such a thing.

--

"Huh? You can't come today?"

Souji had just left his house to pick up Chie when she called.

"Yeah, my parents are coming home from their trip tonight, so I have to stay and clean," she explained. "They expect a spotless house when they come back, or else I'm grounded."

"We're just gonna buy something that Kanji could hide under his uniform, so it's cool."

"I know, but I also wanted to look at what else they might have. And with all the stuff we got from inside the TV, I bet Old Man Daidara can make even better stuff!"

"So, you want me to pick up the items from your place?" he asked as he quickened his pace down the street to Chie's house.

"Pleeease?" she said in a sugary tone. Just then the sound of a doorbell sounded from the background. "Oh, hold on a sec." He heard her take the phone with her to another part of the house. He continued to listen as the sound of a door opening came through his cell phone.

"If you're already at my house, why didn't you just tell me on the phone?!" Chie yelled when she saw that Souji was standing outside her front door. The two hung up their phones and she invited him inside briefly while she retrieved a bag full of the items they found inside the TV. She disappeared up the stairs for a second before reappearing with something in her hands.

"Here ya go!" she grinned as she tossed a plump, lumpy backpack at Souji from the top of the stairs. A loud "OOF!" escaped his lips as the bag caught him square in the chest. As Chie came down the stairs, he took the time to see that the bag was light green with a big, yellow star trailing a rainbow tail behind it. He glowered at it.

"Sorry, but it's the only other bag I have for all that stuff," Chie said as she patted her old bag. "I got it when I was ten, but I never really got to use it…"

_Never 'got' to, or never 'wanted' to? _"And I have to walk around town with this?" he turned his arctic gaze to her, but she only laughed nervously.

"Well, at least me and the others won't question your tastes," she said as she choked back a giggle. "Hey, isn't Rise-chan going with you? Maybe you could make her carry it."

He slung the bag over his shoulder, sliding one arm into one of the straps. "She'd better carry it—this thing's a plague on my manliness," he muttered darkly, but it wasn't soft enough that Chie didn't hear it.

"Huh? You're worried about it keeping girls away?"

He narrowed his eyes at her. "What kind of guy doesn't want girls fawning over him?"

Chie blinked. "Um… Kanji-kun?"

He stared blankly at her, not able to believe the answer she had just given. _I'll give her points for that one. In that case, I'll give it to Mr. Fabulous to carry for me. It's his weapon we're shopping for, anyway, so he has to at least do some work for it._

"I'm off," he said as he started to leave. He had the door halfway open when Chie stopped him.

"Um, just out of curiosity… What do you think of Yukiko?"

He turned back towards her. "What do you mean?"

"Well, she said some things about you yesterday that she didn't mean for you to hear, so… She really didn't mean any of it. At least, I don't think so," she said, letting her eyes fall to the floor.

"Then why did she say all that about me?" _More like announce to the world, actually. _

"Ah, that's…" her cheeks developed a pink glow. "… That's because I was poking fun at her, saying that you and her would look cute together."

Souji shoved his free hand into his pocket and grasped Yukiko's handkerchief. "And thus her answer," he said as he stepped through the door.

"Wait! You didn't answer my question!"

He halted just outside the door. "… Let's put it this way: unlike her, I don't hate every fiber of her being," he said over his shoulder before officially departing. Chie leaned against the door frame, hoping that her constant prying into Yukiko's relationship with Souji didn't ruin their friendship with each other.

--

Every person Souji passed on the way to Kanji's house stopped and stared at the girly backpack on his shoulder. Children would point and laugh, and adults would whisper behind their hands to one another. At one point, a group of junior high boys jeered at him. He was about to spin around and shoot them a dirty look when a towering figure lunged at them.

"Who're you laughin' at, you little bastards?!" Kanji roared as he chased the boys away. When they had run a fair distance, he cracked his neck and walked over to Souji. "Damn kids…"

_My hero! For rescuing me, I shall bestow a handsome reward unto thee, Mr. Fabulous!_ "Thanks. I'll treat you to a soda later," Souji said dully as his rage left his being.

"Cool. But first, I gotta take care of some stuff at home," Kanji said as he returned to his house. Souji followed and was welcomed by Kanji's mother.

"Oh, Souji-kun! So good to see you again," she said sweetly as he entered. He couldn't help but notice her eyeing his bag.

"It's my little cousin's," he lied. "She visited a friend and they spontaneously decided to have a sleepover, so I'm just taking it over to her."

"How nice of you. Can I get you something to drink?" She got to her feet.

"No, it's alright. I don't want to trouble you," he said as he set the horrific backpack down by his feet. The older Tatsumi walked over to one of the displays and began fixing some of the items on the table.

"Kanji, before you go, could you get that box I told you about? Someone's coming to pick it up soon," she informed her son.

"Sure thing, Ma," he replied as he retreated to the back. His mother turned to look at Souji.

"Thank you again for taking such good care of my son. He really does look up to you," she said with a bow. "I think he's become a better man from just meeting you."

Souji was beside himself as he reveled in her words. "Thanks, but I think you did a good job raising him, too."

She opened her mouth to say something, but Kanji returned with a small cardboard box. "Found it! Careful, it's heavier than it looks."

"Just set it down over there," she said as she motioned her hand to indicate where to put the box. "Okay, have fun, boys."

"See ya, Ma!" Kanji smiled as he set the box down. "Let's go, Senpai."

Souji lifted the little green nightmare back onto his shoulders and slid the door open, startling the person on the other side.

"Um… good morning, Seta-kun," Yukiko said in a meek voice.

"H-Hey, Amagi." _Awk-ward._ "Running errands for the inn?" Souji ran his fingers down the back of his head as he averted his eyes from her.

"Y-Yeah. We've gotten really busy, so… I'm the only one they could send." She placed her hands behind her back as she shifted her weight to one leg. "By the way, I called last—"

"Yukiko-senpai! I got your order right here!" Kanji appeared next to Souji holding the box from earlier. "It's kinda heavy, so—"

As Yukiko reached for the box, Souji snatched it away with both hands. "He's right about it being heavy. Kanji-kun, you take that," he said as he nudged the backpack with his foot. Kanji picked up the bag and stared at it while Yukiko thanked his mother.

"You don't have to do that," Yukiko told Souji on the way out.

"We're headed in the same direction, so I might as well."

_Why is he helping me?_ She wondered with her eyes trained on Souji's back. _Is he still mad at me? He doesn't seem mad, though._

"Senpai? What's with this bag?" Kanji asked as they strolled down the district.

"It's stuff from the TV. Chie couldn't come because she needed to clean her house before her parents came home, so she's having me take it."

"Uh, okay. For future references… it's… um… not really your color…"

Somewhere behind him, Souji heard the sound of stifled laughter. He craned his neck to see Yukiko fighting to hold back one of her laughing fits. A small smile crossed his face as he tried to hide it behind the box. "You're right about that. It matches your eyes better."

A loud snort escaped Yukiko, and her face became a bright red. Both Souji and Kanji turned around and stared at her.

"Pffft! S-Sorry…" she gasped between laughter. "I-I… I'll just… hee-hee… I… ha, ha, ha…"

She quickly grabbed the box from Souji, still trying to catch her breath. "E-E-Excuse… me…" The two watched as she stumbled away, half carrying and half dragging the box down the street.

"Who'd've thought that Yukiko-senpai'd be such a strange girl," Kanji mumbled. "Whoever gets her will never get bored, that's for sure."

_I know I'm not bored yet. How can anyone get bored with someone that cute? _ Souji thought as he continued down the street._ I wonder if her laughing was a good sign just now._ They passed by Marukyu Tofu Shop where Rise was waving furiously at them.

"Hey, Senpai! Hey, Kanji!" she called to them. "Did you two see Yukiko-senpai just now? She looked like she was in pain or something."

"Nah, she was just doubled over laughin'," Kanji explained. "We're goin' over to that weapon shop—wanna come?"

"Sure! But, ah… Kanji, that bag…" She clamped a hand over her mouth to keep from laughing as Kanji threw it down on the ground in disgust.

"Y'know, you just threw down the goods we were going sell to get you your weapon," Souji pointed out. Immediately Kanji picked the bag up and dusted it off before hastily handing it off to Rise.

"Hey! Why do I have to carry it? I'm not the one who needs a weapon!" she hollered as she threw it back to Kanji. Souji led them into Daidara's store while they continued to throw Chie's bag at each other. They unloaded the contents of the bag in front of Daidara himself, who raised an eyebrow at the bag.

"I can probably give you… nine thousand for everything," the old man said as he picked through the pile of odds and ends. He handed a pile of bills to Souji, who looked at the small sum with disdain.

"That's it? Can we even get a decent weapon for Kanji with that much?" Rise asked.

"Sorry. The most you can get is an accessory."

"Dammit! How the hell'm I s'pose to fight now?" Kanji said in despair, but Souji had an idea.

"Follow me," he said as he left the store. The juniors followed Souji all the way to the Samegawa riverbed where an old man stood watching the river flow by.

"Excuse me, sir," Souji said gently to the old man.

"Oh, it's you. Caught any fish lately?" the old man smiled. Rise leaned in close to Souji so she could whisper something.

"Senpai, why are we bargaining with an old man about fish?" she asked.

"This old fisherman trades goodies for fish," he replied. He then turned back to the fisherman. "Let me try to catch some and we'll see if we can make a deal."

"Let's see what kind of fisherman you are!" the old man laughed as he lent Souji a fishing pole. He took it and cast the line, hoping that he'll catch the right fish.

--

On her way back to the inn, Yukiko was laughing so hard that tears were flowing in place of actual laughter. She couldn't even lift the box anymore from laughing so hard. As she started to calm down, a hand touched her on the shoulder.

"Are you alright?" A familiar voice asked. Yukiko turned around and saw Yosuke looking at her with concerned eyes.

"Oh, Yosuke-kun. I'm f-fine, just… there was something funny earlier," she said with a smile plastered on her face. "My cheeks hurt now from smiling so much."

"What was so funny? And what's with this box?" he asked as he tapped the box with his shoe.

"Oh, nothing. Just Kanji-kun and Seta-kun, that's all. And those are just some yukata for our inn," she managed to say without giggling. She wiped the remaining tears of laughter from her face. "How about you? Aren't you busy on Saturdays?"

"Usually, yeah, but my shift starts a little later," he explained as he picked up the box. "Whoa! Were you carrying this all this time? It's pretty heavy; here, I'll help you take it to your inn."

"That's all right, I can manage by myself," she said as she reached for the box.

"No way."

"Why not?"

"Let's just say I owe you," he told her as they made their way to the inn.

"What exactly do you owe me?"

"You don't remember? And after Chie even scolded me last night about it," he smiled pitifully.

"About what? What did you do that made you owe me?" Her curiosity made her forget about the box.

"Yesterday, I made a comment on how Teddie knew a stronger healing spell. I didn't realize that it bothered you so much," Yosuke enlighten her. "I'm sorry. Damn, me and my big mouth…"

Yukiko smiled kindly. "Yosuke-kun, to tell you the truth, I actually forgot about that this morning. I've been so busy helping out at our inn that I haven't had much time to even think about it. But I accept your apology." They approached the inn's entrance and Yosuke passed the box to Yukiko.

"You sure you got it?" he asked as she took it in her hands.

"Don't worry—I'm stronger than I look," she grinned as Kasai came barreling down the hallway.

"There you are! I've been looking all over for you to help out with the laundry! And who's this?" she inquired when she spotted Yosuke. "Yuki-chan, is this a boyfriend of yours?"

"N-No, ma'am! Just a friend! Yukiko-san, I'll see ya later!" Yosuke said quickly before running off. Yukiko sighed as she set the box down.

"Kasai-san, please don't joke like that with my friends."

"I'm just kidding! But look how fast he ran when I said that," she winked. She then dropped her voice to a whisper. "So how are things with Souji-kun? Is your situation any better yet?"

"Not yet. Things weren't going so well yesterday, but today he was rather nice to me," she explained as they carried the box to the laundry room. "He helped me carry all this for a bit, and he wasn't mean or anything, but we didn't really talk."

"It looks like he might be trying to win you back. But, are you ready to take him back just yet?"

Yukiko lowered her head. "I don't know. I was talking with Chie and she said that I was worrying a lot about him, so I know that I don't hate him. I also don't want to rush taking him back, because I don't know if I've completely forgiven him yet."

They scooted the box into the elevator and rode it to the third floor. Down the hall was the laundry room, where they loaded the new yukata into the washing machine.

"Yuki-chan, I think that in due time, you'll be able to take him back," Kasai said as she threw in some laundry detergent. The machine whirred to life as she set it to wash and the two went to another washing machine to unload another set of yukata. Together they took it up another flight of stairs to a large landing outside where they hung the freshly-washed yukata out to dry.

"Do you really think so?" Yukiko asked as she passed the older woman one of the damp yukata.

"Of course I do. I have the utmost faith in you, Yuki-chan!"

--

"Well, not bad. Not bad at all," the old man said as Souji showed him the various fish he had caught in a single afternoon. By this time, Rise was so bored that she dragged Kanji into making fun of Chie's backpack by making a mock infomercial.

"Today we have a new line of backpacks!" Rise said as she positioned her hand in front of her mouth as though she held a microphone. "It's not just any backpack—it's the world's greatest backpack! It has an anti-theft mechanism built right in! Kanji, would you care to explain how this anti-theft mechanism works?"

"Get that thing outta my face! It's freakin' ugly as hell—"

"—Did you hear that, folks? It's a backpack so hideous that even a thief wouldn't wanna touch it! Get yours today while supplies last!"

"I ain't no thief!"

Souji finished trading with the old man and passed a round and flat object to Kanji before he could get violent.

"The hell is this?"

"A bath lid," Souji said simply. "It's not what we expected, but at least it's easier to carry around compared to a desk. It's even got its own handle."

"And it's not hideous," Rise chimed in.

"So, whose turn is it to carry _that_?" Kanji asked. All three looked at the bag as though it was a diseased rat.

_Yeah, a diseased rat with a star crapping rainbows,_ Souji thought to himself. _I guess since I live the closest to Chie-chan, I'll take it. Don't forget, Souji—as ugly as it is… Make it sexy!_

"Senpai shouldn't have to carry something like this!" Rise argued.

"Men like us have no right carrying that trash! You carry it!" Kanji yelled back, but Rise's attention shifted to Souji.

"Senpai, you're so mature!" Rise fawned over Souji as he picked up the bag.

"I have to drop this off at Chie-chan's, so either way I'll have to carry it," he explained.

"You're a greater man than I," Kanji added as they headed home. When Souji saw that the two had returned to their homes safely, he took a detour back down the street into a decorative, bright blue door that led to another dimension. He checked to see if anyone was watching before stepping inside, where he was greeted by a bald, elderly man with an abnormally long nose and a blonde, young woman in a blue dress.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room," the woman said as Souji took a seat across from the man. The interior of the Velvet Room had the appearance of a stretch limousine, with various shades of blue coating everything inside. It came complete with a tiny bar filled with drinks lining one side, another long seat on the other and a small table set before the man.

"Good evening," Souji returned as he set the bag next to him.

"What can we do for you today?" the blonde woman asked.

"I need to summon a persona that can use fire. Did I ever get something like that?"

"Let's see…" Margaret pulled out a thick book bound by leather and flipped through it, finally stopping on a certain page. "You have a Gdon waiting for you to summon it."

"Then summon it I shall."

"Payment first," she said as she held out her hand. Souji stared at the hand before reaching into his pocket for some of the money they had earned from selling items earlier. He handed her a few bills, and almost instantaneously felt the presence of a new persona within him.

"Thank you. I'll be going now." He got up to leave when Igor cleared his throat.

"Just a moment, young man," he said in a surprisingly soothing voice. As soothing as it was, there was a slight chill to it. Souji turned back around to face him.

"What is it?"

"It appears that you have a conflict with one of the other arcana," Igor frowned lightly. Knowing where this was going, Souji sat back down on the leather seat.

"The Magician is doing well," Igor reviewed. "And Chariot has a fine bond with you, as well. The newer ones, Emperor and Lovers still need time, as does Star. I see you've also begun bonds with several others, but there's one that I'm particularly interested in at the moment."

"… Priestess…" Souji muttered, and Igor nodded.

"That is correct. It is advisable that you do not break your bond with the Priestess."

"I'm not trying to, but… it's complicated…" Souji felt like he was giving an excuse, and the two other occupants of the Velvet Room seemed to feel the same way.

"If it wasn't so complicated, would you still want to maintain that bond?" Margaret asked. Souji gave her a perplexed look. "The Priestess is someone special to you, correct?"

"How did you know that?"

"As observers, it is our duty to make sure everything flows smoothly," Igor said as he rested his upper lip against his hands. "We can only assist you so much in your journey."

"Just because we're telling you to hurry up and fix things doesn't mean you should make it your reason to do so," Margaret added. "Strengthen your bond because you want to, or else your bond is nothing more than pretense."

_So, I'm basically leaving it all up to Yukiko-san. Then what should I do on my part?_ "What can I do to fix things?"

"Just do what you can."

_How vague can you get?_ Souji stepped out of the Velvet Room and back onto the dark street of the Shopping District. With the bag over his shoulder, he trudged back to the direction of his home.

--

Chie was lying on her bed, drained from a full day of nonstop cleaning. She had just finished tidying up the rest of the house when her parents arrived home. They were impressed with how clean the house was until they saw her room, which she hadn't been able to touch the whole day. They spent a good fifteen minutes lecturing her on being a slob before allowing her to continue her cleaning.

"Whew! Finally finished! But I didn't get to go to Old Man Daidara's…" she brooded as her cell phone rang by her head. She flipped over to lie on her stomach as she answered it.

"Happy birthday, Chie!" Yukiko cheered from the other end.

"What? Wait, what day is it?" Chie asked as she quickly sat up to check her calendar.

"It's July thirtieth! Have you forgotten your own birthday?"

"I guess so. I've been busy cleaning the house for my parents," she sighed. "I spent all day cleaning like a maniac!"

"Aw, then how about we celebrate when we're not busy? I kind of owe you since I was busy today, too."

"Yeah! I like the sound of that!" Chie said happily. "But first, we gotta find that culprit guy, so we'll have to put it off later."

From downstairs, Chie heard her mother calling her. "Uh oh, I think my mom spotted the vase I broke trying to dust earlier. I was watching another kung fu movie while cleaning and I got a little too into it…"

Yukiko giggled. "Okay, I'll let you go. Happy birthday again, Chie!"

"Thanks, Yukiko!" She hung up and headed downstairs where Yosuke greeted her by the front door.

"What brings you here?" she asked as she slid down the banister for a faster descent.

"I was just, y'know, on my way home and decided to stop by," he tried to say casually, but Chie could tell that he had been rehearsing. "So, uh… here!"

He pulled out a small present from behind his back and held it out to her. She took it and turned it around in her hands. "Yosuke, why'd you—"

"I just saw it and thought I should get it for you." She slowly tore the wrapping off the gift and saw it was a limited edition of one of her favorite movies, 'Trial of the Dragon'.

"Whoa, complete with choreography of all the fight scenes," she gasped. As she opened the tin case to inspect the contents, Yosuke spoke up.

"I kinda owed you a new one anyway, and this was the only one I found at Junes. I gotta get home now, so I'll see you tomorrow!" He said rapidly as he turned to leave. "Oh, and… Happy birthday!"

She stood by the door and watched Yosuke run off as her face became a bright red. After what seemed like a few minutes she decided to go back to her room when she saw Souji come up to her door.

"So, how'd it go? Didja find something good for Kanji-kun?" Chie asked as she took back her old backpack. By now, her face had returned to its natural color.

"We found something all right, but it wasn't from Daidara's," Souji told her, relieved to finally be rid of the bag. "We got it from this old fisherman, and it's a lot easier to hide than a desk. He might have to bring his uniform jacket to cover it up, though."

"That's good to hear. Then we shouldn't have to worry about sneaking into Junes."

"Yeah. Then I guess I'll be seeing you tomorrow."

"What time?"

"Ten. I've already sent messages to everyone on the meeting time, so you don't have to worry about telling them."

"Okay. G'night!" she said to him as he started to leave. He waved to her over his shoulder as he disappeared beyond the front gate. She returned to her room, dumping her backpack in the corner and taking the DVD to her bed to examine more closely.

"Yukiko would know it's my birthday because we've been friends for years," she said to herself as she polished the tin case with a corner of her blanket. "And Souji-kun wouldn't know because he just moved here. Rise-chan, Kanji-kun and Teddie definitely won't know because we just barely became friends. And then there's Yosuke… Why would he know it? I don't remember telling him about it…"

--

_Tomorrow at ten… I hope I won't be too sore._

It was late at night and Yukiko closed her cell phone and placed it in the basket with the rest of her clothes in the changing room. With just her towel in hand, she slid the door to the hot springs open and saw that the entire bath was all to herself. She set her towel on a nearby rack before choosing one of the many vacant stools to wash herself.

_I wonder why Kasai-san thinks that I'll take him back so soon,_ she wondered as she filled a bucket with warm water. _Will I be ready by then? And how does Souji-kun feel right now? He acted as though there was nothing wrong going on between us, and he and Kanji-kun even got me laughing. But he also didn't say much to me. _

She up-ended the bucket onto herself and began to scrub shampoo into her hair. _And then there was that thing that Mother said this morning, about being nice to 'him', whoever 'he' is. Father did scold me for not helping out lately, so maybe she was referring to him? But what if she found out about Souji-kun? Was she hinting for me to be nice to him?_

Her thought pattern continued in this fashion until she finished washing herself completely. She took her towel from the rack and brought it with her over to the hot spring. Dipping her toes first, she wanted to make sure it wasn't too hot, and soon her whole body followed. After a few seconds of feeling tense, her muscles began to loosen up.

_If Souji-kun was able to act like nothing happened, I should try, too. At least, try to be a little nicer. If he's going to make an effort to be nice to me, I should at least do the same for him. Maybe if I try to strike up a simple conversation with him, things might go back to normal. Perhaps distancing myself from him had a more negative effect than I intended…_

She looked up at the clear sky, in awe of the sight of the stars above her. Even though she had seen it many times over, it still amazed her how beautiful it was.

--

Inside the Dojima residence, Souji was changed and ready for bed. He planned to sleep early to get a good start on tomorrow's rescue mission when he felt that the heat was not going to let him sleep very well.

_Window… _The heat inside his room was stifling as he drew the curtain open from one of the windows. He slid the window open and couldn't help but notice how clear the sky was out in the country compared to the big city.

_What can I do to fix things? How can I distance myself from her when we keep running into each other? And what was with today? I can't tell if she's starting to feel okay around me, or if she was actually nervous that I was nearby. Then, maybe I should just keep away from her as much as possible. Okay, Souji, here's the plan: stay away from Yukiko-san at all costs! Follow her request and keep your distance! Do this, and your relationship will survive! Now… FORWARD FOR VICTORY!_

As different as their approaches may be, neither of them knew that the other was thinking of the exact same thing under the same star-filled sky.

--

Author's note: sorry if this chapter wasn't as good. I promise that the next one will be better. Thank you again for your support!


	12. Chapter 12

The next morning, Yukiko woke up earlier than usual to make lunch for everyone. As she moved to sit up in her futon, she found that her back and shoulders were sore from all the work she had done the previous day.

_No, not now, _she pleaded with herself as she got to her feet. She raised her arms to stretch but found that she could barely get her hands past her head without feeling pain. To check her back, she bent over to touch her toes, but that only caused pain to course down her back and up her shoulders.

"Owie, owie, owie!" she grimaced as she straightened back up. _How can I fight like this? I can barely lift my arms to even protect myself!_

Even with her aches and pains, Yukiko prepared herself for the day's outing. With much difficulty, she dressed in her regular clothes while her school uniform was folded neatly into a bag—she did not want to raise any suspicion of why she would wear her uniform on a Sunday.

_Let's see... My fan is under my uniform, the sandwiches still need to be made… what else do I need? _She pulled open her desk drawer and found the shrine charm under a few study guides she had bought months before.

_I already told myself that I shouldn't bring it, in case I use up too much of its power,_ she thought as she replaced it back inside her desk. She carefully lifted her bag onto her shoulder to minimize the pain and headed downstairs to the kitchen, where she found the head chef and his assistants already hard at work preparing breakfast for their customers.

"Yuki-chan! Good morning!" the head chef bellowed over the noises in the kitchen. A series of "good mornings" followed soon after from the rest of the chefs.

"Good morning, Murakami-san, everyone," she greeted. "Do we still have ingredients to make sandwiches?"

"Everything is still inside the refrigerator," he called from the stove as he mixed the fried rice he was cooking. "Do you need any help?"

"No, it's all right," she said as she started pulling things out of the refrigerator. When she tried to reach for something on one of the higher shelves, she felt pain shoot through her shoulders. She dropped her arms briefly before reaching up again.

"You must still be achy from yesterday," a young, female chef said as she retrieved the rest of the ingredients for her.

"Satou-san? Thank you," Yukiko smiled as she took some of the food items and placed them on a counter away from the stoves.

"Would you like some help making your lunch?" Satou asked as she brought the rest of the ingredients.

"It's okay; I don't want to interfere in your work," she said as she went to reach for a plate up in a cabinet. She winced as she felt that same pain in her shoulders.

"Here," the young chef said softly as she passed the plate to her. "How many sandwiches do you plan to make?"

Yukiko watched as the woman took the head of lettuce and washed it in the sink. "There's going to be seven of us, I believe."

Together, the two crafted seven sandwiches in the noisy kitchen. Many of the other chefs that passed by took the time to watch as Yukiko attempted to cut lettuce and slice tomatoes, but she didn't mind—she knew that they wanted to see how much she had improved over the last few weeks.

"Oh!" Yukiko dropped the knife when she accidentally sliced her finger open. Satou pulled her to the sink to clean the wound of any bacteria that may have entered.

"At least it took awhile before cutting yourself," she said as she applied a bandage to the girl's finger. "Last time, it was almost like the knife was targeting your fingers."

Yukiko giggled. "Then I guess I improved, haven't I?"

They looked back to the cutting board full of tomatoes sliced in a variety of sizes. _Or maybe, I only improved in not hurting myself as much._

With the sandwiches finished, Yukiko was about to clean up when Satou held up the container of sliced sandwich meat they had used. "Looks like there's still two more slices. It'd be a waste to just let it sit in the refrigerator."

Yukiko looked at the sandwiches and had an idea. "How about you take care of the cutting board, and I'll take care of that?" she said as she pointed to the leftover sandwich meat. Satou handed her the container and brought the used utensils over to the sink to wash. Yukiko then slipped the two extra slices of meat into one of the sandwiches and quickly placed it into a small container, which was quickly tied up in a simple cloth.

_I know who this is going to,_ she thought happily as she slipped it into her bag under her uniform. She proceeded to do the same with the rest of the sandwiches, only this time, she set them on top of her uniform.

"What are you and your friends going to drink?" Satou asked as she dried her hands in a towel. "There should be some cans of juice in the refrigerator. Why don't you take some of those, too?"

She lifted her bag onto her shoulder and found it slightly heavier than before. At the refrigerator, she found only six cans of juice.

_Then, everyone can have juice and I'll have a Quelorie Magic._ With each can that went into her bag, the weight changed drastically, but Yukiko simply gritted her teeth and closed her bag.

"Satou-san, thank you for your help," she grinned painfully as the heavy bag dragged her shoulder down. "I'll… I'll be off now…"

"Have a nice day!" the whole room said as one before resuming their work. On her way out the front door, a man in one of the inn's yukata came up and clapped a hand on her shoulder.

"Hanging out with your friends again, Yukiko?" the man said in a stern voice. Yukiko clenched her teeth to hide her pain. She slowly turned around and saw a tall man with a very refined face. She always wondered how someone with such features could have such a polar-opposite personality.

"Yes, Father," she replied once she gained control of her ache.

"You've been going out a lot lately. Is it because you've met new friends?"

"Yes, and they're good people, too. Chie's part of the group, as well." She smiled to give her father reassurance that she was in good hands—he wasn't the type that likes his daughter roaming around with strangers, particularly boys. He loosed his grip on her shoulder as his hard expression melted away.

"Okay then, have fun. But don't forget your duties to the inn, you hear me?"

"Yes, Father. I won't forget."

He gave her a quick embrace before she put on her shoes and left. He waited until she disappeared down the river plain before returning to his own duties.

"That girl… It's good to see her in high spirits again," he murmured to himself. "I wonder if those new friends of hers had something to do with it…"

--

_First as usual. Not cool, guys._

Souji was standing by one of the tables at the Junes food court, being unable to sit due to the katana shoved down his pant leg while the hilt of the sword was covered by his uniform shirt. He could feel the stares of passersby as they wondered why he was in his school uniform on a Sunday.

_Because I feel like it, gosh! Damn—first it was Chie's backpack, now it's my uniform… What next?! _

He adjusted his stance when he felt his leg become stiff from keeping it straight for so long. How he managed to walk with a straight leg across town is a mystery to even him.

_Huh, I'm kinda bitchy today. Then again, I haven't really been sleeping lately because of the heat. Maybe I really should invest in an air conditioner. At least, a small one for my room would be nice. Then I can get some sleep for a change so I'm not like this all the time. Heh, heh, I'm such a bitch._

A quick look around told him that no one was coming anytime soon, so he returned to his thoughts as he stood there broiling in the heat.

_Next time, I'll arrange for us to meet at the electronics department, because this is getting ridiculous! I get that some of us live across town like me, but Yukiko-san lives the closest from here!_

He ground his hands in his scalp as if trying to rub out the thought of a certain girl. _Is this right, though? Sure, she's the one that said she wanted some distance between us, but is it really right? She did seem a bit tense when we saw each other yesterday, but is me keeping away helping at all? No, just do as she requested so we can hurry up and get over this stupid teenage drama!_

"Sensei! Good morning!"

Souji looked up to see Teddie bound up to him while Yosuke took a slow stride. He gave a small wave as the two came up and stood with him at the table.

"Still haven't figured a better way to sneak that in?" Yosuke asked.

"Nope. I was thinking of taking up a new instrument for band—something with a nice, long case so I can stick this thing in it, but then people might ask me to play something," Souji answered, half jokingly. "I don't think security would appreciate it if I pulled out my sword rather than a trombone."

"Yeah, after what happened when we went to rescue Yukiko-san, I don't think your uncle wants to bail us out again," Yosuke sighed.

"Are we the first ones here?" Teddie asked as he looked around eagerly for the girls.

"That's right. Come to think of it, you've never been this early before," Souji commented.

"This guy was so excited to finally go inside the TV that he was bouncing off my walls," Yosuke grumbled as he tugged on one of Teddie's ears. The bear whimpered in pain just as Chie and Yukiko came up from the elevator.

"Hey! What're you doing to Teddie?!" Chie demanded as she ran up to them. Yosuke automatically released his grip on the bear's ear and guarded his delicates. Rather than kick him, Chie stood between Yosuke and Teddie with her hands on her hips and a threatening look on her face while Yukiko petted Teddie and massaged his ear.

"There, there… Are you okay, Teddie?" she asked tenderly.

_Where was that affection when I got crushed by Hanako-san?! _Souji thought despondently as he watched Teddie purr cheerfully. _And did that really hurt as much as he made it sound? He's in a damn bear suit! There's no way it's physically wired to his brain for him to feel any pain inflicted to that suit!_

"You're not a cat, Ted! It's creepy when you purr like that!" Yosuke yelled as he took a seat.

"But, I'm an injured bear!" Teddie protested with a sudden, miserable tone.

"Damn bear…" Souji heard his friend mutter darkly as he folded his arms across his chest. Chie also proceeded to pet Teddie before taking a seat.

"So, it's just Rise-chan and Kanji-kun that we're waiting for?" Chie asked as Yukiko took her seat.

"Looks like it. But it's weird, though—you live further away from here than they do," Yukiko noted while removing her bag from her shoulder. She flinched when she felt the soreness of having to support such a heavy bag. Unfortunately, it did not go unnoticed.

"Huh? Yuki-chan, are you okay?" Teddie questioned with a worried look. "You looked like you were hurting somewhere."

"I'm all right, Teddie, just a little sore from helping out yesterday." She made to place her bag on the table, but her arms seemed to refuse to do such a simple action. Chie eventually got up and put her bag on the table for her.

"Whew! Whatcha got in here, Yukiko?"

"Just some lunches, in case we get hungry in there," she smiled as she rubbed her sore shoulders. "My normal clothes are in there too."

"Why'd you bring so much?" Yosuke asked.

"With so many people at the inn, I didn't want to raise any questions as to why I'm wearing my uniform," she explained.

"If you can't really move right now, then maybe you should stay out of battle for today," Chie suggested as Kanji and Rise stepped out of the elevator.

"Hi, guys!" Rise called to them, and they watched in horror as Kanji came out with his weapon completely exposed to the public as he dragged it on the ground.

"'Sup," Kanji greeted as he neared the table. He couldn't help but notice the shocked looks that surrounded him. "Um… somethin' wrong?"

"What the hell is that?" Yosuke asked as he pointed at Kanji's weapon.

"Senpai said it's a bath lid, an' it's my new weapon."

"What kind of weapon is that?! And how come you're not trying to hide it?!" Chie's voice raised its pitch with each word.

"It didn' matter—No one asks about it," Kanji shrugged.

_Huh, I guess after everyone saw him dragging a school desk around, they just stopped caring about what he carried around,_ Souji thought to himself. He then noticed that Rise had scooted up to him and tried to get his attention.

"I was going to ask you to bring Chie-senpai's backpack again," she whispered to him.

"How come?" he whispered back to her.

"I thought that maybe everyone's attention would go to the backpack more than Kanji's bath lid."

Souji couldn't help but grin at her idea, not noticing the slightly sorrowful look he had gotten from Yukiko. "So, shall we go now?" she asked louder than necessary as she stood.

"Wait! We still need to organize who's in the main team and who's not," Yosuke said to her. "Alright, Leader—who's in and who's back-up?"

Souji looked around the group, feeling their stares piercing him. _Don't forget to distance yourself._ "For today, I'd like to rotate Kanji-kun and Teddie into the group."

"Then who gets taken out?" Chie asked, having a sinking suspicion on the people he was going to choose.

"Amagi can't really fight right now due to her aches and will be replaced by Teddie as healer. Kanji-kun, being strong physically, will take your place, Chie-chan," Souji reasoned, but Chie wasn't happy at all.

"No way! Why not take out Yosuke? I'm sure he'd like a break from fighting, too!"

"I could do that, but—"

"But what? Is he stronger than me? Or is it because he can heal, too? What is it?"

"Okay then, you win," Souji said with a fake exasperated sigh. "Chie-chan, Kanji-kun, and Teddie are in the main team. Yosuke, I put Amagi's care in your hands. Please take good care of her."

"Aye aye, captain!" Yosuke grinned as he held his arm out for Yukiko to take. "Shall we, my lady?"

Chie looked like she was about to explode. She knocked away Yosuke's arm and led her friend away. "Let's go, Yukiko. We'll let team 'Alpha Male' do the fighting this time," they heard her grumble as she took Yukiko's bag from her.

--

The group was back inside Mitsuo's video game-like dungeon, and Souji was relieved to finally have full access to bending his leg again. They warped up to the fourth floor where they last stopped and cautiously roamed the halls.

"Is it just me, or does anyone else find this place claustrophobic?" Rise asked.

_Anything's better than Kanji-kun's dungeon,_ Souji answered internally. _I can't believe we ran through a sauna that was eleven stories high with all our clothes on..._

"She's right about that—I feel like the walls might close in on us any second now," Yukiko said from the back of the group. They had gotten used to not having windows after surviving Kanji's and Rise's dungeons, but this one had nothing but solid bricks as walls, giving off the vibe that they were truly sealed in.

"There! Up ahead of us!" Rise informed them. Souji and company raced ahead to surprise attack the shadows, leaving Chie and Yukiko behind.

"Can't they be a little more considerate? Leaving us behind like this…" Chie murmured.

"Sorry, it's because of me," Yukiko said apologetically.

"No, not at all! You had to help out at the inn, so it's no big!" Chie smiled, but it quickly disappeared when they heard shouting ahead of them.

"Argh! Come back here'n—"

"Kanji! Fall back! Don't act out recklessly!" they heard Souji yell. "Teddie, attack the far one!"

Teddie raised his clawed paw and ran blindly at one of the large, white birds that carried lanterns. He took a swipe at it, but it dodged his attack easily and started pecking at him.

"No! Get away!" Teddie cried as he tried to protect his head, but Yosuke ran by and slashed the shadow with his knives.

"You okay, Ted?" he asked quickly.

"Yeah! Thanks, Yosuke!" the bear replied. Further down the hallway, Kanji and Souji were working on the remaining two birds.

"Kanji! Use Zionga!"

"Persona!" the big teen yelled as he smashed a falling blue card with his bath lid. A massive, black robot with a skeleton painted on it wielding a giant lightning bolt appeared, striking one of the birds with lighting and dealing a considerable amount of damage. Yosuke and Teddie joined them soon after.

"Teddie! Attack it!"

Without hesitating, Teddie leapt at the wounded bird and dug his claws into its body, making it disappear into a cloud of black smoke. Only one bird remained, and it used a spell to raise its attack.

"Be careful, guys!" Rise called from the side. "It used Power Charge to make its physical attack stronger!"

The bird dove at Kanji, who barely raised his weapon in time to shield himself from it. It then proceeded to try to attack Yosuke by smashing its lantern into his head.

"Dammit!" Yosuke felt the sharp corner of its lantern graze his cheek as he tried to jump out of the way. Fresh droplets of his blood dripped to the floor before he wiped his cheek off with his arm.

"Teddie, Bufula!"

"Bear-sona!" he cried as he smashed a blue card with his claws. Kintoki-Douji appeared and the remaining bird was encased in a block of ice before shattering. When the bird disintegrated, the four boys celebrated with a high-five.

"Great job, guys!" Rise congratulated them. "So, how was your first battle, Teddie?"

"It was harder than I thought," he told her. "Sensei and the others make it look so easy!"

Souji patted the bear on the head. "You did pretty well on your first battle. There's still plenty for you to work on, but I'm sure you'll get it in no time."

"Thanks, Sensei!"

Chie and Yukiko finally caught up to them, and the first thing Chie saw was the cut on Yosuke's cheek. "Dude… You got red on you."

"Huh?" Yosuke touched a finger to his cheek. When he pulled his finger away, he saw blood on it. "Oh. Well, will ya look at that…"

"Teddie will take care of it!" Teddie stepped forward and was about to use Mediarama when Kanji stopped him.

"That's kinda overkill on a scratch like that," he said. "Yukiko-senpai, can't you use Diarama or somethin'?"

"I can, but aren't the rest of you in need in healing?" she asked, feeling slightly more useful than she did earlier.

"Teddie is bear-rific!" Teddie said happily.

"It'll take more'n that to bring me down," Kanji grinned. Everyone turned to look at Souji.

"I'm fine," he said quietly. Yukiko could feel something different with his attitude, but she brushed it off as him possibly not getting enough sleep again.

"Come, Konohana-Sakuya!" With a little more effort than usual, she used her fan to smash the blue card that descended before her, summoning what looked to Souji like a pink, human-shaped bird dressed like a cheerleader. When her persona disappeared, so did Yosuke's wound.

"Thanks, Yukiko-san!" Yosuke said as he touched his newly-healed cheek. "Alright! Let's find that Mitsuo guy!"

--

It took nearly two hours to reach the sixth floor, and by then Kanji had learned to obey Souji's direct orders better while Teddie gained more speed in his attacks. Battles took less time than before, and with the addition of Rise's ability to detect nearby enemies, they weren't ambushed as often. The most they really worried about was finding the stairs to the next floor.

"Man, what time is it?" Chie asked as she shifted Yukiko's bag on her shoulder.

"It's a little past noon," Yukiko answered as she checked her cell phone. "If you're tired, I can take my bag back now."

"Nah, it's cool. I just can't believe that you were gonna lug something this heavy around inside the TV."

Rise, having been walking in the front with Souji, craned her neck to look over her shoulder at the two. "Yukiko-senpai, if you want, I can carry some stuff, too. What's in there, anyway?"

"Just some lunch for everyone," Yukiko replied. "I thought that since we'd be spending the whole day in here, we might get hungry."

"Yuki-chan sure came prepared," Teddie purred. "What kind of lunch is it?"

"It's nothing, really; just some sandwiches."

"Sandwiches, huh?" Yosuke looked deep in thought as he said this. "Did you make it by yourself?"

Yukiko didn't seem to notice where he was headed with that question. "No, I had some help from one of our chefs. I hope they turned out all right."

Her eyes shifted to Souji to see if he was interested in her meal, but he seemed indifferent about it. _He's not interested? Or is he just being cautious because of the shadows around us? Souji-kun, please be a little more enthusiastic—I even put extra meat in your sandwich!_

"Don't worry, Yukiko-senpai, I'm sure that…" Rise's voice trailed off, and her face twisted with panic. "Get down!"

Before they could react, a blinding white light blasted them from behind, knocking the two girls off their feet. The main group spun around and found Yukiko and Chie being ambushed by a group of shadows: the first one looked like a group of pink butterflies with one of them holding a red mask, the second was a grey hand with a head sitting where an arm usually attaches, and the last one looked like a blue mage surrounding himself in a cube made of brown paper.

"No! Chie-senpai! Yukiko-senpai!" Rise cried out. The boys rushed forward with weapons raised as the group of butterflies cast something on the blue mage.

"Be careful! It raised its attack power!" Rise warned as she knelt by the fallen girls.

"Got it! Kanji, use Kill Rush on the butterfly things!" Souji shouted. _Butterfly… things? How unsexy did that sound just now? No, focus! Your friends' lives are at stake!_

"Come, Take-Mikazuchi!" Once again, the massive persona appeared. This time, it sent its lightning bolt blade crashing down on the butterflies. It looked effective, but it survived the assault. To everyone's dismay, the shadow that looked like a grey hand healed it with a Diarama spell.

"Damn you!" Kanji swore as he dashed forward and bashed the gray hand.

"Kanji! Come back! You don't know what that thing can do!" Souji yelled, but Kanji continued to smash his weapon into the shadow while the mage prepared to cast another round of its powerful spell.

"Senpai! It's gonna cast Megido!"

"Megido? What's—"

A blinding, white light slammed into the floor, blasting away the group of teenagers. They skidded down the hallway floor, cuts, scrapes and bruises forming all over their battered bodies.

"Teddie, Mediarama!" Souji managed to force out of himself, and the bear did as he was told—everyone felt their energy return to them as their injuries healed.

"Maragion!" Souji took the blue card into his hand and squeezed it in his fist until it shattered. It left no wounds, but a flaming tiger appeared and engulfed their enemies in flames.

"Teddie! Bufula on the butterflies! Kanji, use Kill Rush on them again! Yosuke, Magaru!"

The three attacked in unison, and the butterflies disappeared, leaving only the hand and the mage. The hand seemed to understand that Souji was the one in power and attacked him.

"Dammit! Get off!" Souji tried to fight off the grey hand by blocking its attacks with his sword, but he soon had other things to worry about.

"Senpai! The Blue Sigil! It's—"

"What's a Blue—"

"The mage! It's preparing to attack again!"

"Yosuke! Deka—"

The hand had done its job in distracting Souji as another explosion of white light propelled them backwards further down the hall. It took the time to heal the mage while Souji looked around at his friends and saw that Teddie was barely able to stand while Kanji was down on one knee, gasping in pain. Yosuke was forcing himself to his feet and Chie and Yukiko were up and ready to join the fight. Rise, having been standing away from the melee, was almost completely unharmed. Souji pulled himself to his feet by digging his sword into the floor.

_Screw nullifying its power boost! Gotta finish this, quick! _"Y-Yosuke…" he huffed. "Garula…"

Susano-O appeared and delivered some wind damage to the mage, but it wasn't enough to defeat it.

"Souji-kun! Let us join!" Chie pleaded.

"It's okay! We got it under control!" he called back to her as he pulled his blade out of the floor. "Teddie, hit the mage with a Bufula!"

_Souji-kun, what are you doing?_ Yukiko thought as she watched him dodge an attack from the hand. _Just what is he thinking? Why won't he let us join? _

_Sorry, you two, but please bear with me. _Souji straightened himself up and charged at the grey hand while yelling, "Yosuke! Magaru!"

Blades of wind tore at the hand and the mage, followed by Souji's sword impaling the hand in the face. It disappeared from being defeated, leaving only the mage.

"Get ready, everyone! It's about to attack again!" Rise cautioned. Chie and Yukiko braced themselves for the blast, but Souji had other ideas.

_We hit it with ice, fire, and wind, so that leaves…_ "Kanji! Zionga!" He looked to Kanji and saw that he was in no shape to fight. _Dammit, then that means…_

As the Blue Sigil began to cast its spell, Souji pulled a shimmering card out from his pocket and switched personas.

"Izanagi!" With the sound of a card being crushed, a figure in a long, black coat holding a spear appeared before Souji and shot a weak bolt of lightning at the mage.

"You dumbass! Why're you hitting it with a weak spell like that?!" Yosuke snarled at him, but to everyone's surprise, the mage was knocked down easily.

"Wh-What the…?" Yosuke wasn't sure how to react, but that didn't matter—Teddie gave the order to launch a full assault on the enemy.

"Bear-pile on the enemy!" he yelled ecstatically.

The boys charged forward, leaving the girls to watch as a cloud of dust obscured their vision of the attack. When the dust cleared, the mage had disappeared, and the four boys were panting with smiles on their faces.

"Good job, everyone," Souji smiled. "Teddie, can you heal us?"

"Sure thing, Sensei!" The bear called upon his persona and used Mediarama on everyone, their injuries disappearing and their health completely restored. Kanji rose to his feet.

"Man, that was dangerous," he grunted. "Senpai, how come you didn't have Chie-senpai or Yukiko-senpai help out?"

Six pairs of eyes flew to Souji, and it felt like their stairs were impaling his heart to see just what exactly he was thinking.

"Well, it's kinda like…" he hesitated, unsure of what to say. _What can I say? Because I didn't want to make any form of contact with Yukiko-san? _

"'It's kinda like' what?" Chie urged him. "Don't tell me you're one of those chauvinistic types, are you?"

_Come on, Souji-kun,_ Yukiko begged in her mind. _Why didn't you let us fight?_

Souji felt heat rising within him as he scanned his brain for an answer. _I can't say that, but what choice do I have?_ "It's because… It would be asking too much of Yukiko-san to fight while she's not up to it."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Yukiko burst out. "Are you saying that I can't even face a little pain for the sake of my friends' lives?"

"N-No, I—"

"Then what about me?" Chie demanded. "I'm perfectly fine, but you didn't even let me fight! What's up with that?"

_Shit, what have I done?_ "I don't mean it like that, but…"

"But what, Seta-kun?" Yukiko glared at him. "What is it that's so important that we couldn't help out?"

Souji lowered his head, his eyes hidden beneath his silvery bangs. _Think, think, think! What else can I tell them? Just make something up, Mr. Highest-Score-in-the-Class!_ "If we didn't make it, we would need the two of you to survive and carry out the rest of the rescue mission."

Guilt pooled in Yukiko's and Chie's stomachs when they heard his words. "I-Is that why? So, you were thinking ahead…" Yukiko said, barely above a whisper.

"Then why didn't you have Teddie heal instead of attack with Bufula?" Chie inquired.

"I thought that if we just kept healing, we wouldn't be able to finish off that shadow," he told them, unsure if he believed his own words. "I figured that, maybe the fastest way to defeat it is to just throw everything we had at it before it had a chance to attack us again."

"But when you used Zio on it, how'd you know that it was weak against lightning?" Yosuke pondered.

"We had already used ice, fire, and wind, so I took a chance with lightning. Sorry I bet everything on that," Souji said apologetically. Rise was beginning to smolder with disappointment at everyone questioning Souji and stepped in to defend him.

"I'm sure Senpai was doing what he thought was best at the time," she said in a somewhat scolding tone. "It's hard fighting against monsters we haven't encountered yet, but it's a lot harder to direct people on what to do while keeping them safe, so don't be so hard on him, okay?"

_Rise-chan, if I wasn't taken, and if I didn't feel so bad right now, I'd totally be kissing the hell outta you,_ Souji thought in appreciation for her defense. Everyone muttered apologies while their faces were riddled with shame and Souji accepted their apologies while feeling just as guilty, only for a completely different reason. _I can't believe I lied to them. It does make sense that if we did die, they would need to continue the rescue mission, but it was still an excuse for my own selfish purposes. I'm the worst…_

"Hey, why don't we all find an empty room to rest and have lunch?" Yukiko said with a jovial expression. "I'm sure you're all hungry after that battle, so what do you say?"

"Yay! I wanna try some of Yuki-chan's cooking!" Teddie bounced over to her, trying to lift the mood a bit.

"Mmm… home-made food from Yukiko-senpai…" Kanji said dreamily, almost drooling on his shirt.

As they went off in search of a safe spot to rest, Yukiko looked over to Souji to see how he was. One looked let her know that he was really down about something.

_Did we hurt him that much when we questioned his actions? Or is it about something else? And, how come Rise-chan's the one defending him? Isn't that my job as his girlfriend? And, why not have me heal them while they were fighting? It's almost as if… he's avoiding me. _

--

They found an empty room not too far from where they fought those shadows and settled in a far corner. Yukiko started to distribute the sandwiches when Souji said he was going to act as a lookout.

"Aren' ya gonna ea', Shenpai?" Kanji asked with his mouth full of sandwich, earning him a disgusted look from Rise.

"Ew! Swallow your food before you talk, Kanji!" she told him off as she looked away. "But he's right—why don't you eat first, Senpai?"

"After what happened earlier, it would be bad to be caught off-guard by those kinds of shadows again," he said as he started to walk to the door. "I'll eat once someone's ready to trade places."

Yukiko watched as he walked over to the door with his sword resting on his shoulder, ready to strike if any shadows sprung an attack. She pulled a can out of her bag and brought it over to him. Chie, who happened to read the label on the can, quickly handed out lunch boxes and juice to everyone before chasing her across the room.

"Um, if you're not going to eat yet, then at least have something to drink," she said as she offered him the can. Souji looked at the can in her hand and read 'Quelorie Magic' on its side.

"… Thanks," he said in a low tone as he took the can. As he took a few gulps of the drink, she pondered why he wasn't being as warm to her as he usually was.

_Normally we'd chat about something, but it's like he doesn't even know I'm here,_ she thought without taking her eyes off of him. _Could he really be avoiding me? _She opened her mouth to try to start a conversation with him, but was yanked away sharply by Chie.

"What are you doing?!" Chie whispered loudly to her. "Did you see what you just gave him?"

Yukiko gave her a befuddled look. "Is something wrong with giving him juice?"

"No! Look again!"

She squint her eyes to read the label from afar and gasped when she saw that she had given him a weight loss drink. "D-Did I just…?"

Chie patted her friend on the back gently, a pitiful look on her face. "Good job, Yukiko. You've successfully called our leader 'fat'."

Yukiko turned back to watch as Souji downed the last of the drink. _What have I done?! Is that why he wasn't saying anything? I'll definitely have to apologize later._

Meanwhile, inside Souji's head…

_Oh my god, I'm fat!_ Souji cried within himself as he poked at his stomach. Yukiko and Chie watched on as he proceeded to poke, pinch, and grab areas of possible weight gain. _I… I… I have… thunder thighs! And what's this—a belly? And are those… man boobs? I have MOOBS?! _

"Wow, he's really beating himself up over it," Chie whispered as Souji gave himself a thorough examination of himself. Yukiko felt like ramming her head into one of the brick walls for making him feel worse. They returned to the far corner where everyone was already halfway finished with their meal to start on their own lunches.

"Don't worry about it, I'm sure he'll get over it," Chie said as she peered inside Yukiko's bag for another box. She found the lunchbox that was buried under her friend's clothes and looked inside.

"I guess you're right… but I still feel pretty bad about it," Yukiko muttered.

"Souji-kun's a big boy! I'm sure he'll forget about it in no time!" Chie said as she took a bite. "And thanks for the meal—you even remembered how I like my sandwiches."

"What d you mean?" Yukiko looked at the partially-eaten sandwich in Chie's hand and saw that it was the one she had put the extra meat it. _What have you done?! That was for Souji-kun! _

"Dee-licious!" Chie smacked her lips as she started on the second half of Souji's sandwich. Yukiko could only stare helplessly as she washed it down with a can of juice.

After everyone had finished eating, they thanked Yukiko and took over Souji's position as lookout so he could eat as well. Only Chie and Yukiko seemed to understand why Souji would only eat two bites of his sandwich.

--

The seventh floor was different from any of the other floors they had been on. For one, the walls were now made up of blue bricks, and also, it was more like one giant room with hallways that crossed each other, so there was nothing but four-way intersections as far as the group could see.

"What's up with this place?" Yosuke wondered as they walked down the hall. They came across the first intersection, unsure if they should keep going forward, or turn left or right.

"Let's go right," Chie said, and they all stepped forward into the intersection. As they stepped on the giant square in the middle of the intersection, they found themselves floating a few centimeters above the floor before falling on the ground.

"Whoa, what just happened?" Rise asked, her voice squeaking with surprise.

"Who knows? Let's just keep going," Yosuke said as he stepped off the square. At the end of the long hallway they found the stairs they had just come from.

"What the hell?" Kanji turned back to look at the square. "I thought we turned right…"

"Are you serious? That's it—This Mitsuo guy deserves more than just a hundred kicks to the face!" Chie fumed as they returned to the square.

"Let's have one person stand on the square first," Souji advised. "Maybe it'll tell us which direction it'll have us face."

Everyone agreed, and smiled at him. Souji didn't return their warmth. _Oh I see how it is… jerks._ He stepped on the square, and when he felt himself drop a few centimeters, he found that his friends were now standing to the left of him.

"It looks like it turns us at completely random directions," Yukiko clarified. "Then, we can't just predict which way we'll be turned next."

"But, if we just send one person onto the platform, and they step off at the right direction, can't the rest of us just step on afterward and follow the first person?" Souji wondered aloud.

"Let's try it," Yosuke said. Souji sidled over to the hallway on the team's right. "Okay, everyone, let's do this!"

The rest of the group stepped onto the platform and found themselves facing a different direction, but Souji remained in the hallway he had chosen earlier.

"Sweet!" Yosuke hooted as he joined Souji. "Let's keep this up and get outta here!"

They continued on with their little trick, weaving up and down the massive room while dodging the hallways with shadows. At times, they found themselves going down hallways they had already gone through, due to everything looking exactly the same in every direction. Once in awhile they would run into shadows, but found that they weren't nearly as tough as the Blue Sigil from earlier. After a few hours, Rise picked something up on her radar.

"You guys, there's something here," she gasped.

"What is it?" Teddie asked. "Is it a shadow?"

"No, it's something else, but I think we might need it later on."

"Then point us where we need to go," Souji instructed her, and she obliged. Soon they followed a path in the upper left-hand corner that led them to a large, wooden door.

"There's something beyond this door! Are you ready?" she warned them. Together with Kanji, Souji kicked the doors open and found a black version of that hand-shaped shadow from earlier.

"This is what we're up against? How lame!" Yosuke scoffed.

"It's called a Killing Hand, and it can summon help if it needs to," Rise told them.

"Well, then we'll just have to kill it before it can do that!" he moved to summon his persona but saw that the shadow had summoned another one that looked just like it, only white.

"Bring it on," Kanji smirked. "We'll just have to take both of ya down!"

"I like the way you think, Kanji," Yosuke grinned. "Magarula!"

Columns of wind burst beneath the two hands, knocking the white one down easily.

"Wow! When did you learn that, Yosuke?" Teddie asked in amazement.

"When we fought that cheater mage thing," he said simply. Souji ran up and slashed at the fallen hand with his sword.

"Both of you, quit chatting and start attacking!" Souji growled at them as he switched his persona back to Gdon. "Kanji, attack the white hand!"

Kanji dashed forward and smacked the hand with his bath lid before retreating to a safe distance. The Black Hand, however, followed him and tackled him to the ground.

"Mabuf—"

"No, Teddie! You'll hit Kanji, too!" Souji stopped him in time as Yosuke drove both his knives into the other shadow.

"Yes! Good job, Yosuke-senpai!" Rise cheered as the shadow disappeared. All that was left was the Black Hand.

"Grr… Get off, ya bastard!" Kanji kicked the shadow off of him and picked up his weapon. The Black Hand then summoned another shadow.

"Another Almighty Hand! Hurry and beat it!" Rise called from the side. Chie and Yukiko stood by her side with their weapons ready.

"C'mon, you guys! Kick that shadow's face in! What's that matter with you all? You're taking too long!" Chie grumbled through a clenched jaw. Yukiko barely heard her friend's 'encouraging' words due to her focusing on her friends' health—she wanted to make sure that she could jump in and heal at any moment, even without Souji's consent.

"Okay Teddie, use Mabufula!" Souji yelled, and both hands were struck by masses of ice, defeating the Black Hand.

"Just one more! Keep it up, guys!"

"I got this," Kanji said. With a rumbling howl, he ran up and threw his weapon at the hand. Before it had a chance to comprehend what had just happened, he kicked it and smashed his fist into its head, its body disintegrating into nothing more than black wisps of smoke.

"Tch. Too easy," he said as he strode over to pick up his weapon.

"Phew! Well done!" Rise congratulated them. She then went over to Souji. "Are you okay, Senpai? Don't push yourself too hard, okay?"

_She's getting a little too close for my taste,_ Yukiko subconsciously thought as she saw Souji flash Rise a warm smile. _And what do you think you're doing? Aren't you getting just a little too cozy with her? Just because she was the only one who didn't question you earlier…_

"That was a lot easier than that other battle," Teddie sighed happily.

"Good jobs, guys," Chie said to them all. "It looks like you've all gotten a lot stronger."

"Hey, Souji, there's a chest over there," Yosuke pointed further down the room. Souji went over and opened the chest and found a smoky, black orb inside.

"Are we seriously gonna need this?" Chie stared at the orb in Souji's hands. "I wonder what we're gonna use it for."

"Let's just get out of here for now," Souji directed them. They spent another long while finding the stairs, and by the time they made it to the eighth floor, it was already time to return to Junes.

"Shall we use a Goho-M?" Yukiko asked as she pulled one out of her pocket, but Teddie pushed it gently back into her hands.

"Teddie's got a better way of getting everyone home," he said with his ears twitching merrily.

"He sniffs out things, he heals, he uses ice… What more can this bear do?" Kanji sighed.

"I can use Traesto!"

"The hell izzat?"

"It's a spell that lets us escape dungeons!"

"Wow, Teddie, you really do come with everything," Chie beamed. "Hey, Souji-kun, we're all done here, right?"

Souji slid his katana down his pant leg, covering the hilt with his shirt. "I think we're good to go."

"Okay, go for it, Teddie!"

"Will all the ladies please hang on to something," Teddie said smoothly as he held out his arms. Yukiko and Chie gladly took either arm, but Rise, seeing that there was no other place to hang on to, clung to Souji instead. Souji felt a spiteful stare bore into the back of his head as Yukiko saw what Rise had done.

_He's not even trying to resist! Just what is he thinking?!_ Yukiko gripped Teddie's arm tighter, but the bear only took it as a sign of affection. He did, however, react to something else.

"Ngh! Kanji, you're not a lady!" Teddie whipped his head from side to side when he felt Kanji's giant hands clamp onto his ears. Kanji released his grip and somberly stood next to Yosuke.

"Everybody ready? Traesto!"

--

Back at the Junes food court, the group reviewed their day inside the TV, not wanting any more near-death experiences like they had earlier. Everyone sat around one of the tables, save for Souji, who still had his katana down his pant leg. As promised from yesterday, Souji bought Kanji that soda he owed him while Chie feasted on one of Junes' grilled steaks.

"Ahhh, nothing beats eating grilled steak after a long day of fighting shadows," she sighed after taking in the aromatic scent of the steak. "Especially after the seventh floor—what was up with that place?"

"A screwed up place from a screwed up mind," Kanji mumbled as he adjusted the glasses he received from Teddie on his face. Rise eyed his glasses, which had a slight black tint.

"Um, Kanji? We're not inside the TV anymore, so you can take those off," she said to him.

"The sun's blindin' me," he told her. "And it makes me look cool."

_Right on, Mr. Fabulous. _Souji cleared his throat loudly, drawing the attention of his friends. "Today was a job well done, everyone. If possible, I'd like to finish this by tomorrow. Can all of you make it?"

He was answered by various forms of the word 'yes' and he was glad to hear it. "Good. For tomorrow's formation, I'd like to go back to using Friday's team."

"All right! Whoo-hoo!" Chie whooped with her fists pumping the air. Yukiko, however, wasn't sure if she should share in her friend's joy.

_If Souji-kun and I are not on good terms, then fighting together won't be easy. If that's the case, I'll have to call him tonight and try to fix things._

Chie noticed the look on Yukiko's face and lowered her arms. "Uh, Yukiko? Are you worried that you're still gonna be sore tomorrow?"

"Huh?" Yukiko snapped out of her thoughts to reply. "N-No, I'm sure I'll be fine by tomorrow. I was just thinking about… um… about what we should have for lunch."

"It wouldn't be fair to keep relying on Yukiko-san to bring us food," Yosuke pointed out. "Why not have someone else bring something?"

"If you want, I can go buy some snacks and stuff at Shiroku," Chie offered. "Actually, I was thinking that we're all due for new weapons and wanted to stop by Daidara's to see if he had anything new. Plus, we can sell some of the junk we got from the TV."

Kanji, Rise and Souji all thought of the same two words when she mentioned selling junk to Daidara: Chie's backpack.

"Ooh! I wanna go shopping with Chie-chan!" Teddie piped up as he began to shed his bear costume. Underneath the heavy suit was a small, blonde boy with startling blue eyes. He adjusted his shirt, which was long-sleeved and frilly with a red flower pinned to his chest and tugged at his black slacks to smooth it out. His bear suit was laid out on the table, but he kept the blue bear head on his lap.

"Oh yeah, you're always stuck with Yosuke, aren't you?" Chie said with a hint of pity in her voice. Yosuke shot her a look, but she ignored it. "I don't mind if you come. Souji-kun, do you wanna look for a new sword, while we're at it?"

_If I get a new sword, then I'm draining my funds even more. However, if I find a better sword, then fighting shadows will be easier. The easier the kill, the more stuff we find to sell, and the more money we get. Man, I'm a greedy bastard._ "I guess I'm due for a new one."

"Sweet! I'll meet you at Daidara's tomorrow," Chie grinned. Souji nodded, unsure if he was really willing to part with more money.

"If that's everything, then we're free to go. Please make sure to show up _on time_ tomorrow," he announced, and the team dispersed, leaving only Chie and Yukiko behind at the table.

"So Yukiko, are you gonna call him tonight?" Chie asked as she cut a piece of her steak. Her friend just sat there, staring at the much lighter bag in her lap. "Hey… Earth to Yukiko?"

The girl twitched slightly at the sound of her name. "What? Sorry, Chie, I was thinking about something."

"No kidding. So, are you gonna talk to Souji-kun tonight?" she asked again before sticking the piece of steak into her mouth.

"About what?"

"About the Quelorie Magic! And possibly about some other things!"

"Oh…" Yukiko looked out to the bright, orange sunset as she fell back deep into her thoughts. "I guess..."

Chie shoved a few more pieces into her mouth and swallowed before saying anything. "Just don't forget to apologize about what you said the other day, too."

_I HATE EVERY FIBER OF HIS BEING!_ Yukiko heard her own words ringing in her ears, shuddering at the fact that she had even said such a thing. "Yeah, I have to apologize for that, too."

Her hungry friend continued to chomp on her steak, hardly taking a break between each piece. She turned her attention to her own hands, were which tangled in the strap for her bag.

_I hope I can fix things with Souji-kun. I can't believe I let him hear that. Wait, wasn't I supposed to call him about that earlier? Then, how did Chie…?_ "Hey, Chie? How did you know that I didn't get to apologize to Souji-kun about what I said?"

Chie looked up from her steak, her chewing speed slowing down noticeably. "Um, when he came to my house yesterday, I asked him about it. He said that he didn't hate you, but he looked kinda hurt about it."

_Then, he's not mad at me at all? But why was he so distant today? Maybe he still felt awkward around me? Then why was he getting so close to Rise-chan?_

As she delved into her thoughts once more, Chie got up and threw away her empty plate. "Time to go home, Yukiko!"

Her friend nodded. "Yeah. But first, can we find a restroom somewhere? I need to change out of my uniform."

They entered the nearest restroom they could find to let Yukiko change. She stepped into the nearest stall while Chie washed her hands.

"Y'know, it's a good thing that you and Souji-kun are just friends," she said over the sound of rushing water.

"Why do you say that?" Yukiko called from inside her stall.

"Whenever Rise-chan said something to him, his eyes would light up, like he was happy or something."

Yukiko froze halfway through taking off her school top. "I-Is that so… I wonder…" _So she noticed, too. _

"Yeah, he looked happier than I've seen him in days. If you ask me, he and Rise don't look so bad together, either," Chie said as she shut off the faucet. "But if you're interested, I can help point him in your direction."

_He looked happier with Rise-chan? Is it because she was being nice to him? I tried being nice to him, too, but he just kept ignoring me. Unless… He really is interested in her? Does that mean he's cheating on me? And Chie, I thought you supported us?! How can you say that he and Rise-chan make a cute couple?!_

The rustling sound of clothes being changed moved at a rapid pace, followed by Yukiko bursting out of the stall, alarming Chie.

"Let's hurry home," she said as calmly as she could, the intensity in her eyes burning into her friend.

"S-Sure, whatever you say. Why the rush?" Chie asked as they sped out of the restroom.

"I have some things to take care of… For the inn…"

The two left Junes at a brisk pace. Chie, being slightly shorter than Yukiko, had to jog at certain intervals just to keep up. "Hey, before I forget—are you busy Tuesday?"

"Tuesday? No, I don't think so. Maybe in the morning, but I should be free the rest of the day. Why?"

"Well, I thought maybe… we could… Can we slow down a bit? I've got a huge side ache!" Chie clutched the stitch in her side from jogging after her meal. The other girl slowed to a light walk.

"Sorry. Now, what were you saying?" she asked in a gentler tone. The intensity from before had dimmed enough for her to hide her rage.

"I thought, maybe we could hang out for a bit. We should be able to rescue that Kubo kid by then, right?"

Yukiko thought for a moment before she gasped in surprise. "That's right! We still have to celebrate your birthday! So, do you have anything in mind?"

"Not really. We could just figure it out on Tuesday," Chie shrugged. "We'll just meet up some time in the morning and wander around the rest of the day."

"Okay. What time do we meet?"

"Ten sound okay?"

Yukiko couldn't help but laugh. "It sounds a little like we're meeting up for another adventure inside the TV."

"You're right—we always meet up at ten for that, don't we?" Chie kicked a pebble on the road. "Yeah, we'll just figure it out on Tuesday. No need to stress out over something like hanging out, right?"

Her friend looked up to the orange sky. "Yeah, no need for stress." _If only I could truly say something like that about something else…_

--

Dude, you are sooo lucky! Having Risette all over you like that!"

Souji, Teddie and Yosuke were on their way to Souji's house, just barely crossing the Samegawa River Plain. "She was just being nice," Souji replied, swinging his straightened leg in a semi-circle with every other step—it was the fastest way for him to walk with a sword down his pant leg.

"Sensei, tell me your ways to attract girls!" Teddie almost begged. "I wanna be able to talk to all sorts of ladies!"

_It's fine talking to the ladies, just make sure to say the right thing or else you're screwed._ "Enough of that. Rise-chan is just grateful that we saved her from her shadow. She's just trying to return the favor."

"But Sensei! Even you were smiling when she talked to you! I don't mind if it's you that's taking Rise-chan from me, but if it were Yosuke, I'd have to battle him to the death!"

"How come I have to fight you for her?!" Yosuke slapped the bear suit off of the blonde boy's shoulder, forcing him to walk back and retrieve it. "Look, man, it's the chance of a lifetime to hook up with an idol like her! It's not like you're after someone right now, right?"

Souji stopped his outlandish walk and gave Yosuke a good, hard look in the eyes. "Okay, first you wanted me to ask out Amagi, and now Rise-chan. Why do you have this fascination with me going out with anyone?"

"Well…" Yosuke pushed himself to stare back into Souji's cold, grey eyes, but found that he couldn't match his friend's stare. "Is something wrong with wanting to see my best bud happy with a girl?"

Souji grunted as he looked away and started making his way back home. "Then how about you? Don't you want Rise-chan all to yourself? And weren't you the one interested in Amagi before?"

"What about Chie-chan?" Teddie asked innocently. "How come neither of you want Chie-chan? Teddie thinks she's cute, just like Rise-chan and Yuki-chan!"

_What a nice bear—always thinking of everyone. Well, everyone that's a girl, that is._ "Chie-chan and I are just friends," Souji told him as they entered a neighborhood. "Actually, the same goes for Amagi and Rise-chan. You can have them all, Teddie."

"Yippee!" Teddie skipped happily up and down the street while Yosuke frowned at him.

"Don't just hand them all off to him!" Yosuke groaned.

"And why's that? Don't tell me you're actually going for one of them," Souji said playfully. "Now, who could it be? You seemed to intent on getting me with Amagi and Rise-chan, which could only leave Ch—"

"As if!" Yosuke turned his nose up at him, but Souji could see a small tint of pink on his cheeks. "A violent girl like that is a huge turn-off for any guy!"

"Careful what you say, Yosuke. She might be listening to us right now," Souji whispered, and the messy-haired boy whipped his head around to look for any signs of their friend. At Souji's house, they checked to see if Nanako was around, in case they needed to set up a distraction to allow Souji to slip in and remove his sword in his room. When they saw her sitting at the table watching TV, Souji had Teddie put his costume back on and nudged both him and Yosuke forward.

"Uh, hi, Nanako-chan!" Yosuke started. "Remember me?"

"Hi, Big Bro Yosuke!" she smiled up at him and saw Teddie. "Oh! Who's that?"

Teddie skipped forward and shook her hand. "I'm Teddie! Nice to meetcha!"

Souji took this opportunity to sneak upstairs and change. When he came back down, he saw that Nanako was having fun playing with Teddie. Yosuke was sitting on the couch, watching the two try to imitate a dance they saw on TV.

"Thanks," he said softly as he sat next to Yosuke.

"No prob," he responded as he stood up. "C'mon, Ted. Time to go home."

"Okay! Don't forget, Sensei—we're going shopping with Chie-chan tomorrow!" Teddie reminded him as he left with Yosuke. "Bye, Nana-chan!"

"Bye, Teddie!" she giggled. "He's funny, Big Bro! I hope I get to see him again!"

"He works at Junes, so I'm sure you'll see him plenty more times," Souji told her. "Now, what shall we do about dinner?"

--

After making a home-made pizza for dinner and a hot bath, Souji was ready to just collapse on his futon and sleep.

_I wanna sleep, but it's still so damn hot no matter what I do,_ he thought as he stripped away his shirt. He recalled the events of the day, particularly the part where he was handed a Quelorie Magic to drink. He flung open his closet door to look at himself in the mirror.

_Maybe pizza wasn't a good idea._ He poked at his stomach, which he noticed was not as flat as it normally was._ Yeah, four slices of pizza was definitely not smart, but it looks like those man boobs were just my imagination._ He examined his thighs, moving his leg in a way so that any excess fat would jiggle. _That felt like a normal jiggle, not at all thunder-like. I guess I'm not fat. _ He had just pulled his shirt back on when his cell phone rang.

--

At the Amagi Inn, Yukiko was pacing inside her room as she waited for Souji to answer her call. She picked up her fan and waved it in her face to keep herself busy, but found that it was doing nothing to ease her nerves.

_Come on, pick up,_ she silently urged Souji. On the fourth ring, he answered.

"Hello?"

"Hello, Seta-kun?" she said almost too eagerly into the phone. She sat at her table, still fanning herself. "Um, sorry for calling late, but—"

"It's alright, don't worry about it. So, what's up?"

_He sounds so calm, like there's nothing bothering him._ "I wanted to talk to you about some things… If that's okay with you."

"Sure. Is something wrong?"

"I was wondering about… about why you seemed a little distant today. When you were having difficulty with that shadow, you didn't call us for help. And, your reason as for why you didn't ask us to join bothered me…" She got up and started pacing uncomfortably again as pressure began to building her chest. "First you said that you didn't want me to fight because I was aching from yesterday, and then you said that, should you and the others die, Chie and I would have to rescue the victim ourselves. It didn't make sense to me."

Before Souji could get a word in, Yukiko continued. "And when I said that you seemed a little distant, I meant that you were distant towards me. Would you care to explain?"

A short silence followed before he could say what was on his mind. "Well, to tell you the truth, I did kind of mean that part about you and Chie-chan rescuing the culprit if we didn't make it. And about that first part—I thought I would try to do what you asked of me."

"What I asked of you?" Yukiko took a seat at her desk. "When did I ask something of you?"

"Don't you remember? You said that you wanted some distance between us. I thought that maybe I wasn't doing a good job of it, so I tried to keep away from you as much as possible."

"But, that was awhile ago that I asked for that. What made you think you still had to do that?"

"You weren't really saying anything about it, so I thought that maybe you still wanted your space," he said in a slightly irritated tone. "I'm not psychic, you know."

"Couldn't you tell when I was trying to be nice to you?" she asked a hurt voice. "But even if I put my best efforts, you still didn't seem to care. You were more focused on either fighting or Rise-chan…"

"What was that last part?" Souji asked when Yukiko's voice started to trail off. "Did you say something about Rise-chan?"

"Yes, I did! You were getting awfully close to her, always smiling whenever she went over to you and asked if you were okay!" she said heatedly as she slammed her fan onto her desk.

"There's nothing going on between us! Look, you know as well as everyone else that she just has a small crush on me. I don't feel the same way for her—"

"But you didn't have to look so happy whenever you talked to her!" She got up again and paced across her room again, unable to sit still due to the new rage flaring up within her.

"Okay, I'm sorry! Sheesh, all this is starting to look like one of those bad teenage dramas you see on TV."

Her mouth fell open, unable to believe what he had just said. "How can you say that so nonchalantly about us? I'm trying so hard to get us back together, and you're just making jokes about it all!"

She sank to the floor on her knees as hot tears began pouring down her face. Souji could hear her whimpering from his side of the phone. "Yukiko-san… I didn't mean anything by that. I'm sorry—"

"No, just stop. Maybe you're right—we're just another dumb teenage drama on TV," she said weakly into the phone. "I'm just the girl who wanted to see what love was like, and you're the new, mysterious boy that all the girls fall for…"

"Yukiko-san, don't say that! Look, I'm sorry! I—"

"Seta-kun, maybe we weren't meant to be after all. Why don't we just…" the lump in her throat grew larger as she made an attempt to hold back more sobs.

"'Why don't we just' what? Don't tell me—"

"Seta-kun, I had fun while it lasted, but… I think… I think…"

She wiped away her tears with her yukata sleeve and took in several breathes before continuing. "I think… we should just end this."

On the other side of the phone, Souji felt a paralyzing pain in his skull as his sight faded to black. In his mind, he could see the tarot card of the Priestess turn upside-down.

_What… What just happened?_ When his sight returned, he was down on one knee, clutching his head with one hand, the other hand still holding his cell phone. He shook away the sharp stinging sensation in his head before putting his phone back to his ear.

"Yukiko-san, wait! I think we should talk about this first!"

"Seta-kun, it's over. I-I'll see you tomorrow… Good night."

The soft click at the other end told him she had hung up. He closed his own phone and gripped it tightly in his hand.

_What have I done?_ He angrily asked himself, the hand with the cell phone now shaking as he gripped it tighter. He got up, his legs barely able to support him as he went over to his futon. _Where did I go wrong? I only did what she asked. Maybe it really is a sign that we're not supposed to be together? But man, me and my big mouth…_

Lying on his stomach, he smashed his face into his pillow and closed his eyes, setting his phone down next to his pillow. Rather than seeing nothing but darkness, he saw Yukiko's image clearly, causing him to groan. He lifted his head and blinked a few times before letting his face fall back onto the pillow. When he saw that her image was still burned in his mind, he knew that sleep was not going to come easy tonight.

_Yukiko-san, I don't know how I'm gonna do it, but I will prove to you how much I really care about you. _He got up and went to the dresser drawer beneath his little TV set and pulled out the pale pink handkerchief she had left at his house weeks ago. He thought that it was too precious to bring inside the TV, knowing how violent things could get while fighting shadows. He placed it back in the drawer before turning out the light and returning to his futon.

_I'll just have Chie-chan return it for me,_ he thought as he stared at his darkened ceiling. _It's probably best to give her some space now._

He closed his eyes, seeing Yukiko's image again. He rolled on his side and stared at the wall, but still saw her image in his mind. Everywhere he looked her image was there to greet him.

_There was no place of solace for the spurned boy's eyes,_ Souji narrated to himself as he tried to lift his spirits to lull himself to sleep. _For no matter where he looked, one thing is for sure—all he sees is red._

--

Alone in her room, Yukiko sat against her wall, hugging her knees. Her yukata was damp at the knees with tears as she made an effort to stifle her sobs—there were customers staying in the rooms next to hers, and she did not want to attract any unwanted attention. At the same time, she wished that she could talk to someone about what had just happened between her and Souji.

_I can't tell Chie, and Kasai-san already left hours ago. There's no one I can talk to about this,_ she thought as she wiped away her tears with her already soaked sleeves. _Maybe keeping us a secret was a bad thing after all._

With a sniffle, she stood up and opened the top desk drawer. She pulled out the shrine charm and closed the drawer, this time taking the charm with her. She laid down on her futon and turned it over in her hands, tiny sobs escaping her throat every now and then.

"I-I guess, this means that I get to keep you now," she said to the charm. "In that case, I'll take you with me inside the TV…"

She tucked the little red charm under her pillow, unsure of how she was going to keep herself from falling apart tomorrow. Being unable to talk out her problems to anyone, she pulled her blanket up to cover most of her face and let out all her frustration out in tears, hoping she could get it all out before facing Souji.

_I probably shouldn't be mad at Rise-chan,_ she thought while dabbing at her eyes with her blanket. _She didn't know about us in the first place. But still… Souji-kun, you idiot! How could you label our relationship as one of those lousy teenage dramas?_

As she continued to muffle her sobs into her blanket, she didn't notice that her door was slightly ajar with a woman looking in on her. The woman slid the door closed slowly, so as not to draw attention and walked to the elevator. When the elevator door opened, a handsome man stepped out.

"Sachiko!" the man said in a surprised voice. "Have you seen Yukiko? I need her to—"

The woman placed her fingers on his lips. "Yukiko is exhausted today. Let's let her rest for now, Takashi."

The man gave her a miffed look and gently pulled her hand away. "All she does is play with her friends. If she doesn't start managing the inn properly, she'll never take your place as manager."

"She's still young. She needs to be able to be out and about with her friends." Sachiko looked at her daughter's bedroom door with anguish. "Think about what she'll miss when she takes over! She needs to go through everything any teenage girl experiences!"

"Like what, having a boyfriend? She hasn't even shown any bit of interest in a boy!"

"Except when she started cooking," she muttered to herself. To her husband, she said, "Maybe if you weren't so overprotective of her she would have a boyfriend by now!"

"If I'm not overprotective, she could end up with the wrong kind of boy," he told her. "That's why we agreed on an arranged marriage, so we know just what kind of man she'll be marrying. And I have not barred her from dating—she made that decision on her own."

"But she needs experience in how to handle her relationships!" Sachiko said as he walked back to the elevator. "How will she know what to do if things don't work out between her and her future fiancé?"

"We'll just have to pick someone well-suited to her," he answered as he picked a button. "I'll make sure she gets only the best man out there."

The doors closed, leaving Sachiko to wonder how her own arranged marriage ended up with a man like him. It's not that she didn't love her husband, but that it took time to truly love him, including his faults. She pressed the button to take the elevator down and looked back at Yukiko's room.

"Don't give up, Yukiko," she whispered. "He's different from all the others, so don't let him go just yet."

--

Author's note: I am well aware that there should have been a card reversal several chapters ago when Ai was mad at Souji, but that's hardly relevant to the story here. This one I felt was more impacting to Souji, considering who it was that just got the reversal. Thank you for following my fanfic as far as you have, for it pleases me to see how much appreciation it's getting from you.


	13. Chapter 13

The next morning, Souji left the house, clad in his school uniform with the sword once again down his pant leg. Barely having slept at all, he set out early for the shopping district where he promised to meet Chie and Teddie.

_You don't need her,_ he reassured himself as he limped down the neighborhood. _She's the one who wanted to keep everything a secret. And it's her fault that she didn't say anything to you about the whole 'distance' thing. You were only trying to do what she asked._

In his bitterness, he hadn't noticed the light drizzle that descended upon him. He barely felt the humidity make his clothes cling to his body, nor did he feel the light spray of warm water as he walked through it. When he reached Daidara's Metal Works, he took out his phone to check the time.

_I knew it. Early again._ He was about to click his phone shut when he noticed the water droplets fall onto the tiny screen. _Crap, not now! None of the stores are even open yet!_

He looked up and down the street, and found the only shelter available to him—the Velvet Room. Reluctantly, he pulled the door open and stepped inside.

"Ah, we have a guest," Igor said beneath his folded hands as Souji entered. The interior still looked the same as before, just like how its residents never seemed to leave for anything. He drew his sword from his pant leg before taking a seat.

"Good morning," Margaret greeted. "We don't normally get to see each other so early in the morning, do we?"

"No, not at all," Souji tried to say with a smile, but instead flashed her a look that made him appear psychotic. She didn't seem fazed by this, but the small man's fingers twitched slightly.

"Is there something I could do for you?" she asked.

"Actually, I just came in here to get out of the rain," he informed her. "Sorry for the intrusion."

"It's all right. The Velvet Room is here to assist you. Now, why don't we play a game?" she suggested.

_This is new._ _Normally she just tells one of her weird jokes or something._ "I'm not really in the mood for a game right now," he said dolefully, still feeling the effects from last night.

"That's okay; you don't have to be in any particular mood to play," she insisted. "Who knows? It might even be helpful to you."

He stared down at the floor, wanting nothing more but to just be left alone to crawl under a rock. "Thanks, but I'm good. I have to meet someone in a few minutes."

"Aw, what a shame. Then why don't we just chat a bit?"

_She just won't quit, will she?_ He folded his arms across his chest and draped a leg over his knee. "Alright then, what shall we chat about?"

Margaret turned her head to look at Igor, and he gave a small nod to her. She nodded back and looked to Souji. "Why don't you tell us about some current events, hm?"

_They sure are interested in my personal life. But, considering that they're stuck in a limo all day long, with only each other's fortune to read and Margaret's jokes for entertainment, I guess it's understandable. _"You probably can't tell in here because of the air conditioning, but it's actually pretty hot out. The humidity outside is worse than usual because of the rain, so—"

The man sitting across from Souji waved a hand for him to stop. "As interesting as that sounds, there is something we need to talk to you about."

_What's with everyone needing to talk to me about things?_ Souji already knew what they wanted to talk about, but he just wanted to forget anything had even happened. He sat up straighter in his seat. "I know what you're going to say, but I don't see why it's any of your business."

"It is our responsibility to aid you as best as we can," Igor answered simply. There wasn't even a hint of irritation in his voice, but more of amusement. "From what Margaret and I can see, you have reversed your relationship with the Priestess."

"That's not a very nice thing to do to a girl," Margaret chided. "You truly are of the Fool arcana…"

Souji balled his hands into fists to prevent himself from unleashing his anger onto them. "I tried to do what she asked, but exactly how is anyone to know what a girl wants if she doesn't say anything?" he said through clenched teeth. The blonde woman started to say something, but Igor held a hand up to her to stop her.

"Tell me, just what exactly are social links?" he asked.

_The hell is with the sudden subject change?!_ "They're the bonds I share with my friends and family," Souji said as he shot a defiant stare at Igor.

"Good. Now, how do you make these bonds?"

"You meet random people and befriend them."

"Is that so?" Igor's hands moved to his deck of tarot cards sitting on the table before him. He began to idly shuffle the cards, almost as if he forgot that he was talking to Souji. As the sound of cards slapping against each other continued, he resumed his questions.

"Exactly how do you strengthen these bonds?"

_How else, you creepy old man? A better question would be how you got someone as hot as Margaret to assist someone like you!_ "You talk to them." Souji was becoming more and more irritated with each question he answered, but Igor retained his twisted smile.

"Very good. Now—"

"What do these questions have to do with me and Amagi?" Souji asked abruptly. Igor gave his cards one last shuffle before setting them back down on the table and letting his head rest against his hands.

"They have everything to do with you and the Priestess," he said quietly. Souji began to hate that calm, eerie voice of Igor's but remained silent.

"You should think about the questions and the answers you gave," Margaret advised him. He sat quietly, tapping a finger on his arm as he took a moment to go over what they had just discussed.

"Okay, so you want me to talk to her. But what's the point if we're not even together anymore?" His voice was still at a low, threatening tone, but it wasn't as harsh as earlier.

"Even if you do not share a romantic relationship with the Priestess, at least repair your bond in a way that you can work together," she said as she began to flip through her book. "Try to talk to her about it—"

"How do you talk to someone that doesn't even wanna talk to you in the first place?!" Souji sprang to his feet, unable to hold back his anger any longer. "If we could even do that much, then we wouldn't be in this mess!"

"I'm sure you can figure that part out for yourself. Now, just tell us one more thing." She shut her book and set it on her lap before locking her gaze with his. "What are your feelings toward her?"

He was quite taken aback by her unforeseen question. He opened his mouth to answer, but he blanked out on what he should answer.

_I… I'm over her, right?_ He slowly lowered himself back onto the leather seat, guiding himself with his hand. _Then, why is it so hard to say that I don't care about her anymore? No, just hurry up and say something!_

"Amagi is a friend." He pressed his hands into the seat, trying to hide the fact that he was shaking. _Is that the best I can do? Pathetic…_

"In that case—good luck restoring your friendship with her," Igor said pleasantly. Souji got up from the seat and slid his katana back down his pant leg, providing Margaret with a little amusement when he lifted his shirt to cover the hilt.

_How the hell am I gonna direct her in battle if we're not even talking? And I can't just take her out or everyone's gonna know that something's going on between us. Dammit, this is a fine time for this to happen. _Souji turned to the door and placed his hand on the handle without turning it._ I almost forgot—I need a stronger, lightning-using persona. With Kanji out of the group, I can't just use Zio._

"Is something the matter?" Margaret asked him. He turned to face her.

"Yeah. I need another persona," he told her, a mixture of anger and depression lingering in his voice. She smiled and waved him over.

"Let's see what you have," she said as she slowly flipped through the book. He hovered over her, peering down at the pages in her lap.

"Hold on. What was that last one?" Margaret turned back a page and landed on what looked to Souji like a black imp wearing purple boots, a purple collar and a purple hat with crinkled antennae attached.

"Black Frost," she informed him. "He's not as cute as Jack Frost, but he's much stronger. He's pretty useful, too, being able to absorb fire and ice spells."

_That's pretty good. It'll save on healing all the time._ "How much?"

She pointed to a spot on the page, and he quickly refused. "Are you sure?"

"I'm just looking for a stronger persona that can use lightning spells," he said as he eyed the cost of the Black Frost again. _So much for having an awesome persona._

"Then maybe you'll be interested in this," she offered as she flipped ahead a number of pages. He was not too pleased with the page she landed on.

_What do you think I am? A four-year-old girl?_ He thought scathingly, but she looked like she was enjoying herself.

"You said you wanted a persona with lightning spells," she said as though she read his mind. "And look—it nullifies ice."

"Thanks, but no thanks. Besides, I heard that only _pure maidens_ can approach those things," he said tersely. "No way it's gonna work."

Margaret laughed, covering up Igor's own snicker. "Why so reluctant to take him? He's not going to cut into your masculinity or anything. And with this one, you don't have to be a 'pure maiden' in order to use him."

He scowled just thinking about summoning it during battle. "What else can it do other than nullify ice and use lightning?"

"Let's see… It can also revive a knocked out comrade in battle."

Souji followed her finger down to the list of skills when something else caught his eye. "It's weak against wind and darkness. That doesn't sound very appealing to me," he argued. He glanced over at Margaret, who seemed to be enjoying their little debate.

"If it bothers you so much, why not think of it this way—girls like these types of creatures, correct? Well, use it to attract some of these 'pure maidens' that you speak of."

He raised an eyebrow in interest. "Sold. How much?"

She pointed somewhere on the page, and Souji felt that he would much rather chop off his arm and give it as payment rather than part with more of his money.

"Oh, it looks like you've completed about half of the compendium," Margaret said happily. "Looks like you can get a discount now."

_Thank god. _He handed her the money, and almost instantly felt a new presence within him.

"Thanks," he said as he turned to leave.

"Have fun with your new Unicorn!" she called after him, almost making him stumble on the way out.

--

He stepped out of the Velvet Room, still unhappy about his new persona.

_It's a freakin' pony. Only little girls play with ponies. Dammit, now I know how Kanji feels._ He took a few steps towards the weapon shop and saw Chie standing in her uniform with Teddie, who had his bear suit draped over his shoulders and the bear head under his arm. He noticed a familiar green strap peeking out from under the bear suit.

"Sensei! Look what Chie-chan got me!" he said, and he twirled around halfway to show off the horrid, green backpack with the giant yellow star trailing the rainbow behind it.

_Stars, rainbows, and now unicorns. What… the… hell…?_ "Good morning," he said as he forced a smile. "Mighty fine backpack you got there, Teddie."

"Chie-chan said that I can use it to hold our food after we sell the stuff we got inside the TV!" he told him. Chie sighed heavily, drawing Souji's attention to her.

"What's wrong with you?" He asked. She yawned before giving her answer.

"Guess who came over at five in the morning? My parents weren't very thrilled about a boy showing up at our front door wearing a bear suit," she groaned. "It took a lot of explaining to do over breakfast."

Souji pictured Chie dealing with her parents while Teddie sat at their kitchen table feasting happily on a stack of pancakes. "Well, you're here now, so let's just buy our stuff and get over to Junes."

Inside the metal works shop, Chie and Teddie went over to the front counter to sell all the items they found on the previous day's adventure while Souji admired a number of swords displayed on the wall.

_It's a bit bigger than my current sword,_ he thought as a European, double-edged sword caught his eye. _So it wouldn't be very practical. So, why am I so drawn to it? And, why is it that when I look at it, I feel kinda sad, but I can't stop looking?_

"Hey, check this out, Souji-kun!"

He looked to where Chie called him from and she flicked open a fan made entirely of long razor blades with a clawed tip on each blade. "Wouldn't this be perfect for Yukiko?"

"I bet Yuki-chan's ready for a new weapon!" Teddie said as he eyed the fan. "And this one looks like it'll hurt if she attacks with it!"

_Great, if I piss her off even more, she can skin me alive with it._ He looked back to the European sword and it hit him why he was attracted to it: six small, red jewels were set into the gold hilt, three on each side. It reminded him of the gift he had planned to get for Yukiko. _There's no point in getting it now. My funds can truly be dedicated to the team now._

"Whoo! Heavily guarded while dealing heavy damage!" Chie had tried on a pair of steel boots that went up past her knees. "Hey, Souji-kun, what do you…?"

When she saw him gazing longingly at the jeweled sword, she looked over at Daidara, who was getting more attention than he wanted from Teddie. "Hey, Daidara-san? Can we take these boots and that sword up there, please?"

"Sure thing," the old man said, grateful to get away from Teddie's awe-filled stare and his various questions about his scars, beard, and red hair. He went over to the European sword and unhooked it from the wall, breaking Souji's fixation on the weapon for the first time since Chie last stole his attention. When he saw that it was being taken over to the front counter, he was not at all thrilled, knowing that all his hard-earned cash was about to disappear.

"Souji-kun! Bring your katana over here!" she called to him, and he did as he was told. He took it out of his pant leg and set it on the counter, where Daidara began to calculate how much everything would cost.

"With the boots, the fan, and the sword, minus the stuff you're selling me… you owe me… Seventy-two thousand, eight hundred thirty yen."

Chie nearly had to double-team with Teddie to wrestle Souji's wallet out of his hands, but they eventually were able to hand a rather large wad of bills to Daidara. Souji was nearly in tears when he slid his new sword into his pant leg, but found that the hilt did not want to hide as well as the hilt from the katana.

"Here, Sensei! You can hide it with this!" Teddie said as he handed him Chie's backpack. Souji stared at the bag, and the blonde boy took it as a sign to stick it on the distraught boy's shoulder himself. Chie shoved her boots into Teddie's bear suit and Yukiko's fan into the backpack, and together they led Souji further up the street to Shiroku Store to buy some items for lunch.

--

Yukiko left the inn with her bag of clothes hanging over one shoulder while she busied her hands with an umbrella and her battle fan. Fortunately, the fan did not look like a weapon at all, allowing her to use it in public to fight off the suffocating humidity brought on by the morning drizzle.

_It's like the sky's reflecting my mood,_ she thought to herself as she peeked out from under her red umbrella. _Only, the clouds need to be darker, the rain a little heavier and lighting streaking across the sky._

Down by the river plain, she peered down at the river and watched it flow rapidly away from her.

_That's pretty much what I feel like doing right now—getting as far away from here as I can, as fast as I can. But, it's also like how our relationship was—here, and gone in an instant._

She sighed as she stood watching the river. _We didn't even get to go on a single date. Well, an official one, at least. Those other times, we were just friends hanging out._

She started walking along the flood plain on her way to Junes, readjusting her bag so it wouldn't slip off of her shoulder. _He's the first boy I've ever been attracted to. It took someone from outside of Inaba for me to finally like. So, if I did leave this place, would I find someone better? Is it too late in making up my mind about leaving?_

The immense department store opened its doors for her to step through as she closed her umbrella. She proceeded to the elevator and waited for it to descend.

_It's thanks to Souji-kun that I decided not to leave, but I can't believe he would make fun of our relationship like that! He was completely different from how he was before! What happened to the Souji-kun that was kind, caring, open-minded, and honest? _

A bell rang, and the elevator opened to her. She walked in and hit the button that would take her to the food court before fanning herself again, swirling the air-conditioned air around her. The elevator shuddered before taking her up, stopping every few floors to let on or off a customer or two. She scooted into the corner, still deep in thought about her conversation last night.

_I wonder why even said that. That didn't sound like something he would say. Unless, that was really what he was thinking. Now I'm curious—if he had a shadow, would it say more things like that? If so, I wonder if there's a good reason for it. _

At the top of the building, she didn't bother to open her umbrella to guard her from the light drizzle. Now it was just a gentle mist that fell around her as she spotted Yosuke, Rise, and Kanji sitting at the rectangular table with a covering. Yosuke, sitting where he could see the elevator, waved over to her, and she took a seat next to him.

"Good morning," Yukiko said to everyone, smiling to cover up any trace of her break-up.

"'Mornin'," Kanji grunted after yawning.

"G'morning, Yukiko-senpai," Rise said cheerfully. She couldn't help but notice the dark bags under her eyes. "Did you not get enough sleep last night?"

Yukiko sat up straight in her seat and poked at her eyes. "Oh, um… They had me doing some work late last night, so I didn't get as much sleep as I should have," she lied as she stared down at the table. Yosuke gave her a somewhat worried look.

"If you're not up to it, maybe you should just get some rest," he offered, but she declined.

"I'll be all right. Once we engage in battle, I'm sure I'll be more awake then," she smiled weakly. She felt like it was quieter than usual, and saw why. "Is Teddie not with you?"

"He went weapon shopping with Chie," Yosuke explained. "He left my house before five to go to her place."

"Five? In the morning?"

"Yeah. I told him he'd just be bothering her, but he said that he 'needed protection from the monsters under his bed' and wanted Chie to fight them off for him. I really gotta stop letting him watch TV…" Yosuke shook his head, but Rise and Yukiko giggled at the bear's reasoning.

"Oh, Yukiko-senpai? Aren't you going to change into your uniform?" Rise asked, noticing that Yukiko was still wearing her regular clothes.

"Is there even a point?" Kanji questioned with his head resting on folded arms on the table. "The only reason why we wear our uniforms is to hide our weapons, right?"

Rise tugged at the scarf of her uniform. "Yeah, but it feels more like we're an official team when we wear our uniforms, doesn't it?"

"Hm, guess so," he said as he sat up and rocked his head from side to side to pop his neck. Yukiko picked up her bag and got up from her seat.

"In that case, I'd better hurry up and change before the others come," she told them, secretly not wanting to see Souji just yet. She scurried over to the nearby restroom and took her time changing, trying to prepare herself when Souji arrived.

_You can do this—just act like he's your friend and it should be fine,_ she instructed herself as she changed into her uniform. Smoothing out her uniform, she stepped out of her stall and looked at herself in the mirror, seeing the bags under her eyes that Rise had mentioned earlier.

_If I look like this, I wonder how Souji-kun looks._ She touched a finger to one of her eyes._ He'll probably look normal like always, being as good as he is in hiding his thoughts and feelings. Still, what was he thinking last night…?_

Yukiko fished around in her skirt pocket and pulled out the shrine charm. "Please, help me to get through today," she softly begged the small, red charm. "I've been reserving your good luck for weeks! You'd better work!"

She left the restroom with the charm back in her pocket and found that the rest of the group had arrived while she was changing. The first person she looked at was Souji, and she gasped when she saw his face.

_He has bags under his eyes, too! But why? Did he regret what he said? Was he as bothered by last night as much as I was?_

Hesitantly, she continued her march to the table. Chie looked up and saw her coming towards them, waving her over.

"Hey, Yukiko! Check it out—we got you a new fan!" she called to her. Souji turned his attention to her, and she felt a stinging feeling in her chest. Ignoring it, she went over to Chie.

"You didn't have to do that," she told her. "I've still got my other fan."

Chie shrugged. "Yeah, but it's not as cool as the one we got you. Souji-kun, can we have the fan, please?"

With a sigh, he pulled Chie's backpack off of his shoulder. Yukiko felt a fit of giggles try to bubble up from within her when she saw that same, odd backpack from two days before, but she forced it back down as Souji produced the bladed fan from inside.

"Oh, wow…" was all she could utter as he held it out to her. She reached out to take it, lightly brushing Souji's fingers in the process and pulled her hand away.

"S-Sorry," she whispered as she snatched the fan out of his hand. He merely grunted as he closed the backpack and tucked it under his arm. She caught a brief glimpse of what looked like a new sword through his thin, white school shirt. Souji turned and faced the rest of the group.

"If everyone's here, then let's hurry and finish this today," he said in a low tone. Everyone around him had a determined look on their faces as they headed for the elevator. He stayed behind to allow everyone go before him since he had his modified walk. His eyes fell on Yukiko, who seemed to shrink into herself as she got into the elevator.

_What's wrong with me?_ He questioned himself as the elevator door closed. _Last night I said that I wanted to prove my feelings to her, and today I said that I don't need her. What the hell's wrong with me? _

They landed at the electronic department and spread out around the store to deflect any attention they might get for traveling as a pack. Souji slid his Teddie glasses onto his face as he made an attempt to walk as normal as possible towards their usual TV to enter the TV world.

_She seemed afraid of me when I handed her the fan. And when I saw her, it kinda hurt… a lot. So, does that mean I still…?_

He looked and saw Kanji shove his bath lid inside the TV before climbing in himself. Teddie practically dove in, nearly losing grip on his bear head. When Chie allowed herself to fall forward into the TV screen, Souji saw that he was the last one to enter. He walked up to the TV and turned around so his back was to the large screen. With his hand in his pocket while the other held the backpack over his shoulder, he stood there for a few moments, surveying the area for anyone that might be watching.

_Just forget about it. You only claimed to want to prove how you feel about her because of the moment. You don't need her like that anymore._

With a final glance around, he let himself fall backwards through the screen, making it ripple with black and white swirls before it returned to normal.

--

Inside the TV world, they landed at the usual area resembling a filming lot. Teddie already had his bear costume on when Souji fell through one of the three TVs stacked on top of one another. When he got up, he saw that everyone had their weapons out with their Teddie glasses on.

"It doesn't fail to amaze me how these glasses can help us see through the fog," Chie said as she dipped her own glasses low to see the world with the fog. She pushed it back up on her nose while Souji handed Teddie the backpack full of food and drew his new sword from his pant leg.

"Whoa! That's pretty nice, Senpai!" Rise marveled at his sword, admiring the little red stones. "It's better than your old one!"

"Thanks," he replied without changing his expression. Yukiko was surprised to see that he wasn't smiling as much with their junior as he was yesterday. At the same time, she felt jealousy bite at her when Rise leaned in to get a better look at the gleaming blade.

_No! You're not with Souji-kun anymore! He's free to do as he pleases!_ She silently yelled at herself. _Rise-chan is allowed to get close to him, and he is no longer your concern!_

They hiked over to the video game dungeon once more, the only sounds being Chie's steel boots clanking noisily with each step.

"Of all the things… Did you really have to go with the annoying pair?" Yosuke cringed with every metallic step.

"Why not? It makes for good defense," Chie answered back as she took smaller, faster steps to pester him even more.

"Good defense, but bad for sneaking around," Yosuke mumbled under each blaring step. It didn't get any better when they arrived at the eighth floor of the dungeon—now there were walls for the sound to bounce off of.

"So, me 'n Teddie are sittin' out this time?" Kanji asked as they walked down the hall.

"That's right," Souji replied without looking at him. "We'll need a physically strong person and a magic user as a balanced back-up team."

"That makes sense, I guess."

They rounded the corner, still not seeing any monsters when Rise stopped. "There's three up ahead," she informed them. "Get the jump on them before they know we're here!"

"You heard her—let's go!" Souji commanded, and he, Yosuke, Chie, and Yukiko ran forward to ambush the group ahead of them. As they closed the gap between them, they saw three human-shaped shadows with beastly heads, covered with black, white and red stripes. Their pointed ears pricked up in alarm when they heard Chie's boots pounding into the ground.

"Dammit! I knew those things were trouble!" Yosuke growled as he dashed forward and slashed at one of the shadows with his knives. Chie sent a flying kick at another shadow while Yukiko flicked her bladed fan open and attacked the shadow Yosuke hit earlier. Souji brought up the rear as he leapt at the third shadow and hacked diagonally with his sword. The three shadows staggered with each attack, but Souji made sure that they kept their advantage.

"Everyone! Focus your attacks on the one nearest Chie!" he called to them. Yukiko looked and saw that the shadow he referred to was the one she and Yosuke had attacked earlier.

"Hwa-tah!" Chie screeched as she roundhouse kicked the shadow. Yosuke ran up to follow up, but as he brought his knife down across the beast's chest, his hand was stopped in mid-air from the beast grabbing a hold of his wrist. With his other hand, he swept his second knife back and forth across the beast's face, barely missing by inches.

"You guys! Yosuke-senpai's in trouble!" Rise yelled from afar. Teddie and Kanji were yelling words of encouragement to their seniors.

"Go, Chie-chan! You can beat them, Yuki-chan!" Teddie shout while bouncing on his feet. The little green backpack was bouncing along with him, but it did little to bother him.

"Kick his ass, Senpai! Show the bastard who's boss!" Kanji roared next to him. Back on the battle field, Souji and Chie were busy fending off the two other beasts to allow Yukiko to help Yosuke.

"Let him go!" she screamed as she sliced the beast's arm. It let out a monstrous yell and released Yosuke, who retreated to safety with Yukiko.

"Thanks, Yukiko-san!" he called to her. Across the hall, Souji instructed him to hit it with a Garula.

"All right! Hah!" Yosuke's knife shattered a blue card to summon Susano-O and a column of wind whipped at the beast. It disappeared in a wisp of black smoke, allowing them to turn their focus on the remaining two.

"Argh!" Chie cried out when one of the beasts smashed a fist into her jaw. She fell to the ground, rubbing her injury while Souji fought it off to keep it from attacking her.

"Amagi! Maragion!"

"Go!" The sound of breaking glass shot through the air as Konohana-Sakuya appeared, sending explosions of flames onto their enemies. Chie got back up and delivered a metal foot into one of the shadow's faces. It, too, disappeared.

"Just one more!" Souji pulled a card from his pocket and switched personas. "Zionga!"

Another card shattered, and Unicorn came and shot a bolt of lightning at the last shadow, making it disappear like the others. With the battle finished, everyone gathered around him.

"Is something wrong?" Souji asked when he saw the looks on their faces.

"Dude, a Unicorn?" Yosuke laughed. "No freakin' way…"

_I knew it! It's definitely not manly!_

"Don't laugh, Yosuke-senpai! I'm sure it's got some pretty good abilities," Rise said with flushed cheeks. "But, it _is_ kinda girly…"

_Hush, maiden. Say that again and you'll be the only maiden that this Unicorn rejects!_ "It's may be feminine, but some of its skills might be useful," Souji growled indignantly. Yosuke continued to laugh, but Rise had a different approach to it.

"I don't mind that it's girly, but that it's kinda nice to see that you might have a sensitive side," she smiled. "Girls actually like that in a guy."

"Yeah, it's pretty true for most girls," Chie added. "I mean, look at Yosuke—loud, obnoxious, and too driven by testosterone. Not many girls are into that kind of thing."

"Hey! Why you little—"

"We're wasting time. Let's finish this by today," Souji said over Yosuke as he continued down the hallway. _Looks like unicorns attract maidens fairly well. I'd better thank Margaret later. But, there's still one maiden that didn't… _He looked over to Yukiko, who didn't seem to care at all about whether he was sensitive or masculine. Seeing this, he quickened his pace as if to get as far away from her as possible.

--

"Chie! Rampage!"

Three shadows that looked like wealthy couples dancing took damage from Suzuka-Gongen. Their heart-shaped heads that floated above the dark bodies bobbled violently while the other three teens rushed over and attacked each couple. Yosuke jumped away from the shadows to check if any of his friends needed help. Instead, he saw that Chie had also gotten away from the battle to do the same thing while Souji and Yukiko were taking on the three by themselves.

"Uh… guys?" Chie made a weak attempt to call to their friends' attention. Yosuke just stood there watching as he pulled his headphones off of his ears. Random blasts of lightning and fire connected with the shadows with the occasional hacking and slashing from their weapons.

"Amagi! What are you doing?" Souji yelled as he dodged one of the dancers' rapiers.

"Defeating shadows!" Yukiko yelled back, raking her fan's claws across another pair of dancers' heart-shaped head.

"That's not what I meant! Why aren't you following orders?!"

She smashed a blue card to spew flames onto one of the dancers. "You said to attack, so I'm doing just that!"

"I said to use a physical attack! Not Agil—"

"Get down!"

Souji ducked low as he felt an explosion of flames burst behind him. He could feel the intense heat on the back of his neck and when he looked over his shoulder, he saw one of the couples writhing in agony before disappearing. He looked back over to Yukiko, who held her fan up by her face so that only her eyes were visible.

"Please be more careful, Leader," she said icily before running off to assist Chie. Souji stood there fuming before charging at Yosuke's shadow and slashing at it repeatedly.

"Whoa! Chill, dude!" Yosuke gasped as he watched Souji slaughter the shadow. When it disintegrated, he made to assault the last shadow but found that Yukiko was butchering it just as wildly as he had. When that, too, was gone, they fixed their eyes on each other, breathing hard while glaring unblinkingly. The rest of the team was frozen where they stood, afraid that they might upset their friends further.

"Uhh…" Chie broke the silence as she looked from her best friend to their leader. "Why don't we… take a break?"

--

Just as before, they located an empty room to rest and eat. Souji took his post as lookout once again and that was just fine with Yukiko. The group gathered around Teddie in the far corner of the room, where he removed Chie's backpack from his shoulders and pulled out the day's meal.

"Rice balls!" he announced as he held one of the packages over his head. The bear held the container out for everyone to take one while Chie handed out some drinks.

"Ooh! Did you make these yourself?" Rise asked as she bit into one.

"Uh uh. Chie-chan, Sensei and I all bought them this morning," he said as he removed his bear head and chomped on one. Off to the side, Yosuke examined his rice ball before nibbling on it.

"Well? How is it?" Chie asked him. He swallowed the morsel before answering.

"Not bad," he replied. "But, I kinda prefer Yukiko-san's sandwiches."

"That's because Yuki-chan's sandwiches were made with love!" chimed Teddie. Yukiko felt a part of her anger melt away when she saw Teddie and Yosuke's appreciation.

"They weren't all _that_ good," she said bashfully. "But simple snacks like rice balls always seem to make lunches more enjoyable."

Kanji, with his face littered with grains of rice, reached for another rice ball, but Rise slapped his hand away. "Ow! Hey, what the—"

"Save one for Souji-senpai!" Rise reproved. The tough teen folded his hands in his lap as he stared greedily at the untouched rice ball.

"Hey, Yukiko," Chie leaned in and whispered to her friend. "Why don't you take that to Souji-kun so he can eat while keeping guard?"

"Why not have Rise-chan take it to him?" Yukiko whispered furtively. "You said so yourself that they looked good together."

Chie pursed her lips. "They look good, but you and him look even better! Now, take this rice ball and give it to him."

She picked up a rice ball with a napkin and shoved it into her empty hand. Yukiko stared hard at the ball then narrowed her eyes at her friend.

"Why are you still doing this? There's nothing between the two of us, so just stop meddling already!" Yukiko hissed.

"What's the problem? Yesterday, you were fine handing him a Quelorie Magic!"

"That was an accident!" Yukiko spouted angrily and well beyond a whisper. The other team members fixed their eyes on her, wondering what brought upon the outburst. "And I was just trying to be nice, that's all!"

"Yukiko-senpai, are you and Souji-senpai having a fight?" Rise's question snapped Yukiko back to reality. She felt like everyone was trying to read her mind as they stared at her and with each passing second, she felt her body temperature rise from a mixture of her anger and the sense of being caught.

"O-Of course we're not!" she blurted out, accompanied by nervous laughter. "We're just… a little tired, is all!"

Yosuke squinted at the bags under her eyes. "You do look pretty tired. But what was that about an 'accident'?"

"Um..." As she fumbled over the right words, Teddie picked up the last rice ball and waddled over to the giant double doors where Souji was stationed outside. He presented the small meal to him with a grin.

"Thanks, Teddie," Souji said as he took the rice ball in his free hand. Teddie stood there, watching him eat, and Souji could see that he wanted something.

"What's up?"

"Well, um, Sensei," he looked back inside the room where he could see Yukiko fanning herself as the rest of the group tried to coax an answer out of her. "You and Yuki-chan didn't look like you were getting along bear-y well earlier. Did something happen between you two?"

_So they're onto us. Great._ Souji took another bite from his snack to give him some time to think of an answer. When he finished swallowing, he told him, "Yesterday, Amagi gave me a Quelorie Magic."

"What's that?" Teddie widened his eyes in wonder.

"It's a weight loss drink. People who feel that they are on the chubby side drink it to slim down."

Teddie pondered for a moment why the two would be upset with each other when it hit him. "When Yuki-chan gave it to you, did she mean to say that you're fat, Sensei?"

Souji poked at his stomach to confirm the bear boy's answer. "I guess she has a bit of a point…"

"But, you're not fat, Sensei!" Teddie cried. "How can Yuki-chan say that you're fat?"

The sound of heavy footsteps stampeded towards them as the rest of the team gathered near the door. The first one to reach Souji was none other than Rise.

"Who called you fat?! Tell me!" she screeched as she stared hard into Souji's eyes. "No one calls my senpai fat!"

"That's weird—when I saw you that one time, you looked a little on the thin side," Chie remarked. Rise turned and stared at her with her mouth gaping open.

"Chie-senpai… when you said you saw him 'that one time,' did you mean…?" The girl couldn't finish her sentence, but Chie interrupted before giving her the chance.

"Oh, um, it was nothing!" she laughed bashfully. "I went to pick Souji-kun up from his house one day and… uh…"

"She saw me naked," Souji finished apathetically as he took another bite. A tiny squeak escaped Rise's throat while everyone else just stared blankly at him. "Which leads me to say that I was rather hurt by Amagi when she handed me a Quelorie Magic yesterday."

_Liar! _ Yukiko bit her lip to keep from crying out her thoughts. _At least he managed to make up an excuse for us being mad at each other._

"Yukiko-senpai, that's cold," Kanji said disappointedly as he ran a hand through his bleached hair.

"He's right. That's not like you at all," Rise added. "Souji-senpai doesn't look fat at all. What made you think you had to give him one?"

_Should I lie, or should I tell the truth? Which one will they believe more?_ "I… I didn't mean to give him one," she said softly. "To be honest, when I was packing our lunches yesterday, we only had six cans of juice, so I brought one of my Quelorie Magics for myself. When I went to give him a drink yesterday, I grabbed it by mistake."

"Oh, so you didn't mean to call him fat or anything," Yosuke concluded. "Then, we're just overreacting for nothing."

"Yay! Now Sensei and Yuki-chan can kiss and make up!" Teddie cheered as he clicked his heels. Souji choked on his rice ball and started coughing uncontrollably while Yukiko began to blush a deep shade of red.

"That's taking it a bit far, Teddie," Rise said with disapproval as Chie pounded on Souji's back to dislodge the bits of rice from his throat. "But, Chie-senpai? What was up with that part about you seeing Souji-senpai naked?"

Chie's arm froze before striking Souji's back again. "Uh… No comment!" she said sheepishly on her way back inside the deserted room. Everyone else followed her, trying to cajole the truth out of her. Only Souji and Yukiko remained outside the room, still recovering from Teddie's rash statement. They stood staring at their feet, unwilling to say anything to one another.

"Um…" Yukiko drew a circle with her toe. "I'd better go rescue Chie…"

She took a step towards the door but felt a hand grab her wrist.

"Wait."

Rotating slowly on the balls of her feet, she looked up into his face. "What is it?"

She was met with penetrating, grey eyes that sent chills down her back. She felt her breath catch in her throat as she, unblinkingly, stared back.

_Just tell her how you feel,_ Souji instructed himself, hardly being able to maintain his eye contact with her. _Apologize to her for last night and today! Don't be a jackass about it!_

"Seta-kun?"

With the soft call of his name, he released his grasp on her wrist and took a step back. "Uh, sorry, I—"

Yukiko held up a hand to silence him. "If it's about the Quelorie Magic yesterday, I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to make you think you were fat."

_Say what?_ "Well, I wasn't all that bothered by the Quelorie Magic," he said, placing his hands on the hilt of his sword. "I was just trying to find an excuse to cover us up."

She giggled, bringing her hand up to hide her smile. "You liar! Chie and I saw you when you were poking at your stomach!"

_Crap! I was seen!_ Souji stuck a hand in his pocket and leaned his back against the wall. "Whatever. Just make sure to follow orders next time."

Yukiko's smile quickly faded at his words. She felt the anger from before well up in her chest. "If you're going to be like that, it's hard for anyone to want to follow your orders."

"Yosuke and Chie-chan have no problems, and neither do Kanji and Teddie. What's your problem?"

"My problem? You're the one sounding like a complete jerk right now!"

"If it bothers you so much, then go ahead and do what you want," he said indifferently without looking at her. Yukiko looked daggers at him.

"I'll take up on your offer and fight as I please!" she yelled at him before stomping back into the room. Souji was left outside once again, sighing disappointedly at himself.

"You jackass," he muttered to himself. "This was your chance to patch things up with her. Why'd you go and screw it up?"

--

The ninth floor proved to have even more difficult enemies, including a bright-red army tank that shot that held up well against physical attacks. They barely got away with their lives, but seeing that Yukiko would need to conserve her energy for spell casting, Souji decided it was best to have Teddie heal for the duration of the trip.

The group happened upon another door, hoping that the stairs to the next floor would be inside. Inside wasn't stairs, but three, sofa-sized beetles with gold backs and crowns on their heads.

"They don't have any spells!" Rise whispered excitedly from Souji's side. "They'll be a piece of cake!"

"In that case… Yosuke! Magarula!" Souji ordered.

"Hrrah!" Three wind columns reflected off of the beetles and returned to Yosuke, who wasn't affected at all due to his persona having an ability that nullifies wind spells. "Wha? It didn't work?"

"Wind spells aren't effective?!" Rise gasped. "Uh oh, they're attacking!"

The three beetles charged forward to ram the group with their horns, one successfully catching Rise and tossing her up in the air like a rag doll. She hit the ground with a sickening thud.

"Rise-chan!" Souji yelled as he ran to the beetle that attacked her. He clashed his sword with its massive horn, seeing that it was going to be a more difficult battle than he had initially thought. He stole glances at his other friends and saw that everyone, even Kanji and Teddie, had jumped into the fray.

"Dammit! Zionga!" Souji crushed his blue card with his hand and sent a lightning bolt onto the beetle. He felt a surge of pain when his spell reflected off the beetle and hit him instead, bringing him down to one knee.

"Sensei!" Teddie bounded up and slashed at the beetle with his claws before it had a chance to attack Souji with its horn. "Are you okay, Sensei?"

Souji rubbed his head and stood back up. "Ngh… yeah, I'm fine, Teddie, thanks," he groaned. The bear nodded with a determined look on his face before returning to the beetle. Souji looked around the room and saw that Kanji and Chie had teamed up against one beetle, Yosuke against another, and Yukiko and Teddie on the one that had attacked Rise earlier. He turned back to the fallen girl.

"Rise-chan, are you alright?" he asked fearfully, raising her to a sitting position. Groggily, she opened her eyes and peered up into his face with a smile.

"Hey, Senpai," she gasped, having the wind knocked out of her. "I'm fine. Go help the others."

With a nod, Souji took her up in his arms and laid her down in a corner of the room to keep her out of harm's way. Yukiko, seeing this, felt another stab of jealousy and started attacking her enemy more fiercely.

"Everyone! Listen up!" Souji boomed over the battle. "Don't use your magic! I repeat: don't use your magic!"

"I don't need magic to kick ass!" Kanji yelled as he brought his bath lid down on the beetle's head. Chie followed up by jamming her foot into the beetle's eye.

"Man! They're tough!" Chie panted through gritted teeth as she dodged its horn. On the other side of the room, Souji joined Yosuke to take on his beetle.

"About time!" Yosuke called. "Is Rise-chan okay?"

Souji landed a few hits on the beetles back before answering. "She's fine. She just had the wind knocked out of her."

Yosuke jumped onto the beetle's back and dug his knives wherever he could find a soft spot. "Dammit! We'll never beat it with just attacks!"

A scream from another corner of the room made everyone snap their heads in that direction. Teddie was caught by his beetle's horn and smashed against a wall, with Yukiko trying to scratch her fan into its back.

"Yuki-chan! Save me!" Teddie screamed while flailing his stubby arms and legs. Yukiko leaped backwards to avoid getting caught in the horn herself.

"Teddie! I'm coming!" She called as a blue card descended before her. Souji's eyes widened as he watched in horror of what she was doing.

"Amagi, NO!"

"Maragion!" she shouted, and three explosions of fire bounced off of all the beetles only to reflect back to her, blasting her backwards and slamming her against the wall. She slid down the wall, her feet falling into the thin moat that ran around the room while the rest of her body fell forward on dry floor.

"YUKIKO!" Chie jumped over beetles and twisted herself to avoid attacks on her way to Yukiko. She saw that the beetle that had attacked her friend was lurching forward to attack again.

"Not so fast!" she yelled as she relentlessly began to beat the beetle senseless. When it finally disappeared, she held the lifeless girl in her arms. "Teddie! You're a healer, right? Revive her!"

The bear dug his claws into another beetle's back under its gold plate and dragged it, leaving large gashes before replying. "I can't! I don't know any spells that can do that!"

"No…" She brushed silky, black hair away from her friend's face and found blood dribbling down the side of her face. "Don't die on me, Yukiko!"

The figure of her fallen friend grew obscure as tears filled Chie's eyes. She sniffed and held her close when a bright light encircled Yukiko. Chie let her friend go enough to peer into her face, and when the light faded, the cut on her friend's head had vanished and the girl had regained consciousness.

"Wh-What happened?" Yukiko asked weakly as Chie's face lit up.

"You're alive! I was afraid that that last attack killed you!" she cried as she enveloped Yukiko in a tight hug. "And then Teddie said that he didn't know any revival spells, so—"

"I'm fine, but aren't we still in battle?" Yukiko asked, holding her head. The two looked up in time to watch the boys defeat the last beetle. Chie helped her to her feet while the rest of their team gathered around them.

"Yuki-chan! Are you okay?" Teddie asked sadly. "I'm sorry I wasn't strong enough to help you!"

Still holding on to Chie's shoulder for support, she reached out with one hand to pet the bear. "No, it's all right, Teddie, I'm fine. I just need to recover a little."

Teddie gave her a salute that didn't work out too well due to his arms being so short. "Right away! Media—"

"If it's all right, I'd like to try healing, too," Yukiko said gently, so as not to offend him. Chie looked at her friend.

"Are you sure? Teddie has a stronger healing spell, doesn't he? And you should be holding off on using spells in case we run into the culprit's shadow."

To answer, Yukiko took up her fan and simply said "Mediarama" while smashing a blue card. Konohana-Sakuya appeared and showered them with a bright light before disappearing.

"Hey, Yukiko-san knows Mediarama now, too?" Yosuke asked as he touched a disappearing injury on his hand.

"Yukiko-senpai must've learned it during the battle just now," Rise thought aloud. "Great job, Yukiko-senpai, but who was it that revived you?"

She shook her head. "I don't know. I thought that maybe Chie used a revival bead on me."

Towards the back of the group, Souji silently nodded with her theory. He moved to the front of the group until he stood before Yukiko. "I'm glad you're safe, but please follow my instructions from now on," he said in an apprehensive tone.

"Seta-kun…" She felt a floodgate within her unleash guilt from disobeying him earlier. "I'm sorry. I'll comply from now on."

The look of worry didn't leave his eyes as he turned towards the door. "If everyone's ready, let's hurry up and end this," he said as he began to walk out of the room. Yukiko let go of Chie's shoulder and followed the rest of her friends out the door.

_I guess he's still mad at me,_ Yukiko thought as she spotted him up at the front of the group. _It's to be expected, since I disobeyed his orders. But then, does that mean he was worried about me?_

--

On the tenth floor, they reached a landing with another large wooden door opposite the stairs. Chie, Yosuke, Kanji and Teddie celebrated by slapping each other a high-five while Rise summoned Himiko.

"Hmm… I can sense him past this door…" Rise said as she scanned the other side of the door.

"So, do we bust it down?" Kanji asked as he knocked on the door.

"No, I think we need something. Like a key," Rise told him. "Did we ever find something like that?"

"What about that black orb we found yesterday?" Yukiko reminded them. "Did you bring it, Seta-kun?"

Souji reached into his pocket and pulled out the small, smoky-black orb. "Yeah, I got it right here. What do we do with it?"

Rise peeked out from beneath her persona's scanner goggles. "Try holding it up to the door."

He stepped forward and held it up to the door, where it flooded the landing with darkness.

"The hell is this?" Kanji boomed. A moment later, the door burst open and light was restored to the area. The group ran inside what looked like a small coliseum made up of pixels and littered with sand on the ground.

"Look!" Chie cried. "There he is!"

They took a few more steps deeper inside and saw not just the boy, but another one that looked just like him.

"You Mitsuo?!" Kanji demanded. "You better be ready to pay, you bastard!"

"Wait, Kanji," Yosuke warned him. "Something's not right!"

The boy with his back to them began to throw a fit. "Everyone gets on my nerves… That's why I did it!"

_So, he really did kill them,_ Souji thought angrily as he clenched his jaw. _We'd better hand him over to the police as soon as possible._

"Whadya think of that!?" Mitsuo yelled at his clone. "Say something, dammit!"

His clone merely breathed heavily, but the boy only continued from before. "Nobody even thought of me after the first two people. That's why I went for the third one!

"I killed them!" he howled with a twisted smile, but his clone remained silent. The boy's smile disappeared when he saw no reaction. "Wh-What're you all quiet for…?"

_He's right. Unlike everyone else's shadow, this is the quietest I've ever seen one,_ Souji recalled. _Although, most of them were a bunch of sex fiends, including Yukiko-san's…_

Mitsuo's shadow stared unblinkingly back at him with squinty, yellow eyes. "Because… I feel nothing…" he said slowly.

The furious boy walked up to him and grabbed him by the front of his shirt. "What're you talking about!? Make sense, dammit!"

Chie adjusted the glasses to sit up higher on her face. "What the…? Which one's the Shadow?"

"I… have nothing…" the Shadow continued. "… I am nothing…"

Mitsuo released the Shadow's shirt and pushed him away, fear spreading across his face. His shadow lifted his eyes to him and said, "And you… are me…"

"What…? What's that supposed to mean!?" he asked with a quivering voice. "I'm… I'm not nothing…"

"No! If this keeps up…!" Yukiko warned everyone. The sound of her voice made the boy turn around.

"Wh-Who are you guys!?" he demanded with wide eyes. They could see that he was really distraught. "How'd you get in here…?"

_We're you knights here to rescue you, princess,_ Souji furrowed his eyebrows as he thought this. _I would say princes, but Chie's already got that title covered._

The exasperated boy gnashed his teeth at them. "Dammit, who the hell are you? What're you doing here!?"

Kanji raised a fist at him. "Shut the hell up! We came after you!"

"Are you the killer?" Chie asked cautiously. The answer she got was not one she expected, for the boy began to laugh. His laugh was high and derisive, one that made Rise's skin crawl.

"Of course I am!" he said proudly. "I'm the one behind everything!"

_I can't believe this is the same guy that tried asking me out,_ Yukiko cringed as she tried to recall that day. _Is it because I rejected him that he resorted to murder for revenge?_

Mitsuo turned around to look back at his shadow. "I don't give a damn what this imposter's saying!" he laughed as he shoved his shadow hard in the chest. "You hear that!? You have nothing to do with me!"

He shoved him harder this time, making the Shadow fall to the ground. "Get outta my sight!"

The Shadow sat there unmoving as Mitsuo turned back to face everyone. "That goes for the rest of you, too… Why'd you chase me all the way here!?"

He back away from them, the terror growing in his eyes. "I'll kill you! I'll kill all of you! I can do it, you know… I can do anything!"

_Can you not be a social reject? Hell, even though I'm an asshole, I at least know how to get people to not hate me. _"Relax, Kubo-san," Souji said in a calm tone. "Just take a deep breath and we'll talk."

Mitsuo took another step back and bumped into something. With a yell, he spun around and saw his clone was back on his feet and staring deeply at him.

"So you don't accept me…" the Shadow said coldly. The real Mitsuo fell to his knees.

"Ngh… What the…?"

Dark matter gathered towards the Shadow and Mitsuo collapsed on his side. When the cloud of darkness dispersed, a giant baby with a halo of unknown gibberish swirling around its head emerged, floating above where the Shadow had once stood.

"Dammit, here we go again!" Yosuke muttered through gritted teeth.

"Get ready, everyone," Rise advised. "Once we beat him, this case is as good as closed!"

"Teddie, Kanji, go move Kubo to a safe place," Souji instructed. "Everyone else, follow my orders. I don't want any more near-fatal battles."

Yukiko nodded to him. "I won't let you down this time! Please continue to have faith in me!"

Souji returned with a nod of his own. "I have faith in you and everyone else here. Now… Commence the attack!"

Chie and Yosuke dashed forward, ready to strike the baby when it set up a blockade around itself. The blockade took on the form of a pixilated hero from old video games, only it was three-dimensional for all around protection.

"I am… a shadow…" it said with a robotic voice. "Come… I'll end your emptiness."

"It's all jaggy and blocky!" Teddie shouted from the side. He and Kanji had dragged the real Mitsuo off to where Rise was standing.

"Is that thing supposed to be a game character…? Geez, how insulting can he get!?" Yosuke growled when he saw the shadow.

"Come…" the Shadow beckoned, and Chie took it as a welcome to become her punching bag. She kicked one of the Shadow's legs, the blocks shifting a little before returning to their original position.

"Huh? It didn't do anything!" she cried as she ran away from the shadow.

"You'll have to destroy the outer shell first!" Rise informed them, and Souji motioned for them to huddle briefly.

"Chie, use Tarukaja on everyone," he instructed. "Since regular physical attacks barely do any damage, we'll focus on using physical and elemental abilities. Amagi, keep an eye out for low health. Everyone, hold off attacking until I cast Rakunda to lower its defense."

"Should I raise Yukiko's attack first, since she's our strongest spell caster?" Chie asked, looking over her shoulder at the towering shadow.

"Do it. Amagi, be ready to cast Agilao. Ready… break!"

The four moved into a semicircle battle formation, with Yukiko on the far left, Yosuke and Chie in the center, and Souji on the far right. Off to Souji's right, Rise, Kanji and Teddie gathered next to the wall, the boys taking quick glances at the knocked out boy every now and then. Rise kept Himiko out to continuously scan their enemy.

At the same time that Chie cast Tarukaja on Yukiko, Souji switched personas back to Izanagi and cast Rakunda on the blockish warrior. The second that the spell was cast, Yukiko smashed a blue card and released a burst of fire onto the shadow.

"It's working! That combination drained more energy than before!" Rise encouraged them. Chie proceeded to raise Yosuke's attack to allow him to provide maximal damage. When she moved to cast the same spell onto Souji, a small, black screen with white letterings popped up before the shadow containing the words 'Fight', 'Item', and 'Spell'. A small arrow appeared next to the word 'Fight' and selected it, soon followed by the block warrior bringing its enormous, pixilated sword down onto Chie.

"Chie! No!" Yukiko cried, but the girl was able to jump and roll away before the sword could catch her. She was down on one knee, holding her arm where Yukiko saw she had scraped on the sand. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine!" Chie called back as she got back up on her feet. She went to finish casting Tarukaja on Souji and herself while Yosuke joined Yukiko in bombing Mitsuo's shadow with wind spells.

"It's attacking again!" Souji yelled when he saw the small, black screen pop up again. Once again, it selected 'Fight' and leaned forward to swing its sword down onto Yukiko. She wasn't as lucky as Chie, for the sword caught her on her back when she turned to run.

"O…Ow…" she moaned as she lay on her stomach for a few moments. She felt the pain disappear as a bright light surrounded her. When she looked to her left, she saw Yosuke flash her a grin before returning to attack again.

_Good thing he knows Diarama,_ she thought as she got back up again. She looked up in time to see a big, blue bomb flying towards her.

"Yuki-chan! Look out!" Teddie cried helplessly. Yukiko flung herself to the side before the bomb detonated, leaving a shower of pixilated sparks where she once stood. She sat up and felt a horrible stinging sensation on her legs and saw that she had received horrific burns from the bomb.

"Yukiko-senpai! Run! It's attacking again!" Rise shouted. Kanji lunged forward and picked her up bride-style, running to avoid the sword by a hair's breadth.

"You okay, Yukiko-senpai?" Kanji asked as he set her down a ways away from the shadow. Souji glanced backwards and saw the burns on her legs.

_This bastard's aiming for Yukiko-san,_ he realized with gritted teeth. _If you touch her again, I'll—_

He switched personas to Unicorn and cast Zionga, which came out with more power than he remembered. Even the rest of the team didn't fail to notice.

"Dude, we gotta use that Tarukaja thing more," Yosuke said in awe. "We could kick more shadow ass this way!"

_I don't think that was from Tarukaja,_ Souji thought. _More like my deep desire to SHANK A BITCH!_

With another hit from a boosted Zionga, accompanied by a beefed-up Bufula, the outer shell of the shadow flew away in bits and pieces, revealing the hideous baby once again. It fell to the ground, flailing its little limbs about helplessly.

"Aha! Is this our chance?" Chie asked Souji.

"No. We need to take this time to check for injuries. Yosuke, you and Chie take the time to heal and do whatever you need. I'll check up on Amagi." Souji picked something up from the ground and jogged over to her, seeing that she was still unable to stand. She looked up and saw that Souji had her fan in his hand. He flipped it around so the bladed claws were in his palm and handed it to her.

"Hurry and heal," he told her. "We can't defeat it without you." She took it and summoned Konohana-Sakuya to use Diarama on herself.

"Thanks, Souji-kun," she said as she got to her feet, the burns on her legs completely healed. She blushed a little when she heard herself slip up on his name, but Souji only nodded without changing his expression before returning to the rest of the team. To Kanji, she smiled while dusting herself off. "Thank you, too, Kanji-kun."

"No prob!" he said before running back to Rise and Teddie. Yukiko returned to her place on Yosuke's left, examining her friends for injuries. Before she could react, the baby was floating in mid-air and clapped its hands together. Eight transparent cubes gravitated to Yosuke and shattered, shards embedding themselves into his body.

"Argh!" The shards disappeared, leaving multiple cuts all over him. The damage wasn't as bad as it looked and Yosuke dealt more wind spells to the shadow.

"You okay?" Chie asked him before hitting the baby with Black Spot. Suzuka-Gongen appeared with her doubled-bladed beam sword and unleashed a strong, physical attack onto the shadow.

"I'm good," he said, casting another burst of wind to tear at their enemy. Tiny bits of red dotted his shirt, and Yukiko took Yosuke's reply as a sign that he didn't need healing just yet. Souji switched personas back to Izanagi to cast Rakunda again.

"Chie! Tarukaja again!" he commanded, but the baby was prepared. It cast Green Wall to protect itself against wind while Chie raised Yosuke's attack. When Yosuke used Garula, it hardly touched the shadow.

"Dammit!" Yosuke growled as he ran up to slash the baby with his knives in retaliation. It did a little damage, but not as much as he would have liked. When Yukiko received her boost of power, she immediately cast Agilao, scorching the baby a good amount. It wailed painfully before casting Dekaja.

"Oh no!" Rise cried. "They lost their attack boost!"

"Man, and I was just about to get Souji-kun," Chie cursed under her breath.

"Cast it on Amagi first this time," Souji instructed as he switched back to Unicorn. "It won't do any good having Yosuke attack it when it's protected against wind."

The baby wailed again and cast Magarula on them, with everyone receiving their own blast of wind. Yosuke's persona easily nullified the spell, but Chie and Yukiko had to endure the attack with their own defenses. Souji was knocked off his feet, immobilized from his lack of wind resistance.

_Damned Unicorn! You're not worth the maidens that you attract!_ He sat up, trying to catch his breath as he watched his friends continue their assault. Flames leapt up from Yukiko's persona as Yosuke sent Susano-O to attack with Sonic Punch. Chie cast Tarukaja on Souji before herself and shot a Bufula at the baby.

"Get up, Sensei!" Souji heard Teddie yell from somewhere behind him.

"You can do it, Senpai!" Rise chorused.

"Beat that punk-ass down!" Kanji erupted next to them. Souji nearly laughed when he saw Kanji kick the still incapacitated boy at his feet. He got back up to his feet and picked up his sword, preparing to cast Zionga again when the baby began to reform the pixilated soldier again.

"The shell takes time to finish forming…" Rise called to them. "Destroy it before that happens!"

The legs and lower half of the shell was complete, and Souji knew they had to act fast if they wanted to defeat it. "Spam it with all your spells! Don't hold back!"

"I like the sound of that… Garula!" Yosuke smashed another blue card and a green gale engulfed the shadow. It staggered a little, but found the strength to cast Mabufula on the group.

_Hmph. My pony won't fall to such a feeble attempt,_ Souji gloated in his mind as he felt ice form around him. Without feeling a thing, the ice broke apart. He looked over to his left and saw that Chie was unharmed. Yosuke had taken some damage, but was otherwise all right. His eyes fell onto Yukiko, who was on the ground, clutching her chest—her persona's weakness was ice.

_Damn!_ "Zionga!" Souji shouted with a raised fist. He crushed the card in his free hand, while his sword remained unused in his other hand. Another powerful bolt of lightning struck the shadow and the lower parts of the shell disintegrated.

"Sweet! Let's take him down before he—"

"No, Yosuke!" Chie cut him off. "Yukiko needs help!"

Off to the side, Yukiko slowly got to her feet, the pain in her chest throbbing while it slowly subsided. _Why… Why is it like this? Is he aiming for me specifically?_

"Yukiko! Are you—"

"I'm fine," she panted as she straightened herself. "I can still do this."

She looked to Souji for approval, and their leader agreed. "Then attack with everything you have," he said to them, and the four of them darted forward for a full assault on the shadow. Dust was kicked up when they thrashed about, and when the dust settled, the shadow had taken a substantial amount of damage.

"It's still not dead yet?" Chie wheezed as the baby floated back up. It released a sort of gas substance soon after.

"Be careful! That's Stagnant Air!" Rise informed them. "There's a higher risk of getting a sickness!"

"Then we have to defeat it before it can do anything!" Souji ran forward and hacked at it with his sword. He made one clean cut across its face, and it retorted with Garula, throwing him backwards easily.

_Dammit, pony! Why'd you have to be so weak against wind?!_ Souji thought angrily as he flipped through the air. He landed face-down, hard, and his face and arms scratched roughly against the sand. His glasses landed in front of him, and as he reached out to put them back on, the shadow gave the group a twisted sort of smile.

"No! Don't look!" Rise screamed from the side. "That's Evil Smile! It instills fear!"

Souji had been fortunate to not have seen it while putting his glasses back on, but Yosuke and Chie were looking directly at it. They both curled up, holding themselves as terrified looks crossed their faces. Yukiko, having been in the middle of casting Diarama, had not seen the smile thanks to Konohana-Sakuya blocking her view. The pain in her chest was mostly gone, but now she had her friends to worry about.

"Get up, Souji-senpai!" Kanji yelled. "Get up and fight!"

Souji struggled to his feet, planting his sword into the ground to pick himself up. When he looked up at the baby, he saw that its outer shell was two-thirds of the way completed.

_Crap, we were so close!_ He felt his legs give way just as a soothing light embraced him. The strength returned to his body and the scrapes on his face and arms disappeared as Yukiko's Diarama healed him.

"Thanks," he said in a low tone. He yanked his sword out of the ground and eyed their two friends on the ground. "Do we have any items to cure them of fear?"

Yukiko watched as her friends sat on the ground, curled up into tight, frightened balls. "I think sedatives might work, but why not use spells?"

"I'm almost out of energy for magic," Souji said as he fished around in his pocket for a sedative. "And who knows when we need you to heal again, so we need you to conserve."

She also dug deep into her own pockets for a sedative, finally finding one. "Got it!" She held up a small bottle of green liquid, and Souji did the same. "Do we make them drink it?"

"Looks like it." He roughly grabbed Yosuke's jaw and forced his mouth open. The terrified boy whimpered when Souji tipped the liquid into his mouth. Yukiko did the same to Chie, and the two soon recovered from their ailment.

"A little rough, doncha think?" Yosuke moved his jaw around to get rid of the light ache Souji had caused. Chie got to her feet and pointed at the shadow.

"We're too late!" she moaned. Everyone looked up and saw that the outer shell was complete, the blockish soldier back together.

"There's no need to be scared," the shadow said to them in its robotic voice. "It'll be quick."

"Well, we don't plan on dying just yet!" Chie yelled back at it.

"Why? Don't you want to be at ease?"

"We'll be at ease once we're done with you!" Yosuke shouted at it. "Why did you have to go and kill in the first place?!"

"I… I need proof that I exist," the shadow said sadly. "That's why… I have to kill you!"

Before anyone could react, the small command screen popped up again, this time choosing the word 'Spell'. It selected a move none of them had seen before, called Gigadyne.

"RUN!" Rise screamed at them, but it was too late—lightning bolts rained down on them, stronger than any lightning spell they had ever encountered. The four hit the ground, shrieking with anguish while the attack surged through their bodies, threatening to kill them.

_Is this… where we're gonna die?_ Souji lifted his head and saw that Yukiko was back on her feet, bent over and supporting herself by gripping her knees. Yosuke and Chie were still conscious, but neither had the energy to stand—the damage had been too much and neither of the two had received any healing in a long while. Souji staggered to his feet, and to his horror saw that black screen open up again, selecting the word 'Item'.

"…Yuki…ko…" Chie strained herself to say. Up against the wall, the juniors were all screaming at the red-clad girl to run.

_Who's calling me?_ Yukiko wondered in her dazed state. Her hearing seemed to be muffled while the world was nothing more than a fuzzy blur. That last spell was almost enough to knock her out, yet she survived. She could vaguely hear her friends calling for her, but was powerless to do anything to respond. She raised her face and tried to focus her eyes on their enemy and saw something round and black flying towards her.

_Is this the end for me? _She thought as she saw the object sailing towards her. She knew it was a bomb and how destructive it was, but couldn't help but hope that someone would pull her out of the way like Kanji had earlier.

As the bomb neared her, the voices grew louder, but became even less audible. She closed her eyes, not wanting to see death take her away. _Souji-kun… help me…_

"YUKIKO!"

She felt herself get shoved backwards, a blazing blast overwhelming her. She squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for the unbearable sensation of her skin melting off her bones, but found no such thing. Instead, she felt something wrap around her head and back and fall heavily on top of her. She opened her eyes and found herself staring into the broad chest of their leader.

"Souji-kun?!" She looked up into his face, his eyes shut as tightly as the embrace he held on her. At the last second, he had tossed his sword away and sprinted at top speeds to protect her. "Souji-kun… why…?"

Yukiko heard the sound of the small screen popping up again. The familiar sound of a selection being made drove her to peer out over Souji's shoulder. She struggled out of his protective hug as the shadow leaned forward with its sword raised.

"Don't… touch… my… FRIENDS!" she screamed as she shattered a blue card. As the shadow's sword came crashing down towards her, Konohana-Sakuya appeared and sent an explosion far more destructive than ever before onto the sword-wielding hand, severing it completely from the pixilated body. Yosuke and Chie propped themselves up on their elbows, feeling a fear different than the one they had felt earlier. Another eruption of flames engulfed the shadow, melting the cubes the shadow's shell was made of.

"Were you targeting me to seek revenge?" she demanded with a raised voice filled with rage. "Is that because I refused to go out with you? Answer me!"

More flames erupted against the shadow, melting the blocks even further. "Don't tell me that killing people is proof of your existence! No one will know you as yourself, but as the boy who went around murdering people! It doesn't prove that you, as a person, existed, but as a murderer!"

A seemingly endless rhythm of cards being smashed echoed throughout the coliseum while more and more explosions of fire swallowed the shadow whole. When the shell was finally razed enough to expose the baby within, Yukiko turned to the rest of her companions.

"This ends now! Please, lend me your strength!" she screeched at them, and instantly all her friends were up and running towards the freakish baby, including Rise, who had stooped to pick up Souji's abandoned sword and joined in the massacre. Souji made an attempted to shift his body into a sitting position, but his injury prevented him from doing so, making even breathing a laborious task. With a final effort, he pushed himself onto his side, getting a somewhat better view of his friends assaulting the shadow.

_I-Is that… my skin…?_ He could hear a grotesque popping noise as his fried skin sizzled loudly. Most of his back, shoulders and neck were burned raw with blisters and sores festering in clusters, making tears form in his eyes from the agony. _Someone… please, make it stop…_

He craned his neck a bit so he could see his friends as they finished off the hideous baby. Even though it was too painful to move, he at least wanted to see the victory his friends had earned with their combined efforts. His eyes rested on Yukiko, who had her back to him.

"…Yu.. ki… ko…" he wheezed heavily as he made his hand crawl towards her. He reached out her to slowly fading figure, his eyelids becoming heavier while his friends celebrated. He coughed and saw his blood spray onto the sand by his mouth. _I'm dying… and there's nothing I can do about it…_

Souji heard voices that sounded like they were underwater and turned his eyes up towards his friends, who were now running towards him. The last thing he saw before giving in to the desire of unconsciousness was Yukiko's terror-stricken face, her lips mouthing "Souji-kun!" before he completely closed his eyes.

--

Author's note: So, I've played Persona 4 about three-and-a-half times, and each time, Mitsuo's shadow would always seem to aim for Yukiko. When I was thinking of the fanfic, I thought of this and went "How coincidental! I could add this somehow!" That was back when I was still working on chapter 3. Ten chapters later, I finally get to write it out, and it came out longer than I thought it would be.

For those of you who might not know the term "shank a bitch" it pretty much means to "stab someone who is offensive to you". Or something like that.

Thank you all for your reviews once again. I can't thank you enough for all your encouragement! I know I'm getting really repetitive every time I say 'thank you' at the end of the chapter, but just getting your feedback really drives me to want to make each chapter as perfect as possible for you guys!


	14. Chapter 14

_It feels… so good…_

Without opening his eyes, Souji slowly regained consciousness as he reveled in the blissful calm that had fallen over his body. He was aware that he was lying on his back with his head propped up on a warm pillow, but his mind gave his body an odd sort of sensation that he was floating. There was no more excruciating pain anywhere on his body, but he could still taste the metallic flavor of blood in his mouth from earlier. It didn't matter to him, though, because he was just happy to finally find some peace.

"Finally awake, huh? You've been a major pain in our ass."

_Say what? How can you say that to your master, Puppy? I was just a freakin' meat shield!_ He heard a light, shuffling sound somewhere off to his left, accompanied by a low moan.

"What the…?" a voice that Souji didn't recognize said. "You guys… Who the hell are you guys?!"

_Whoops. Looks like I'm not the pain in the ass after all. That would be our culprit. _"We're here to capture you," Souji said weakly as he sat up. He blinked a few times to allow his eyes to adjust to his surroundings and realized that he wasn't wearing his glasses. Thick fog drifted around him, but it wasn't so thick that he couldn't tell where he was. Through the haze he could see the three television sets stacked on top of one another, and he knew that he was back at the entrance to the TV world.

"Senpai, don't push yourself," he heard Rise say from behind him. "Here, you should lie down a bit more."

He felt a pair of hands place themselves on his shoulders and start to pull him back to a lying position, but shook his head. "It's okay, Rise-chan. I'm a lot better now, thanks."

"Are you sure? You were hurt pretty badly earlier."

Souji placed his hands on the floor to help him twist around to face her. "I'm fine now, so there's nothing to worry about…"

He felt his breath catch in his chest when he saw Rise sitting on her heels, smoothing out her skirt. _Was I asleep with my head in her lap?! Crap, did Yukiko-san see? Did she care? But, it felt so nice…_

Souji had a warm sensation run through his ears as he thought about his wonderful nap, only to be interrupted by Rise placing his glasses on his face. "Sorry, I had to remove these so they wouldn't get bent while you slept," she said with a smile. "It's good that you're feeling better, Senpai, but I'd prefer that you at least stay off your feet for awhile longer."

_Good idea, maiden. Can I take another nap on your… STOP IT! She's not the maiden you should be indulging in!_ "Yeah, but I think I'll just sit," he agreed. He looked around the small, movie studio platform and saw that the only ones there aside from himself and Rise were Kanji, Yosuke and their culprit.

"The police are after you," Yosuke said to the boy, who was now sitting up. "They think you're the one who killed King Moron and the other two.

"So…? Are you the killer?" he asked with a stern voice. The dazed boy dropped his head low enough to touch his chin to his chest.

"All the cases…" he said slowly. "All on me… ha… hahaha…"

His eerie laughter became louder, a devilish grin on his face. "That's right! I did it!"

Kanji stepped forward to stand before Mitsuo, his surly eyes glaring down at him. "You piece of shit!"

The boy didn't feel threatened at all. He kept his grin while continuing to laugh. "And not just that bastard Morooka… That stupid announcer and the Konishi bitch, too! I killed all of them! It was all me!"

His laughter rang in Yosuke's ears, and he wedged himself between the boy and Kanji to grab two fists full of the front of Mitsuo's shirt. Kanji stepped back, wide-eyed with surprise.

"Why'd she have to die?!" he screamed, pulling Mitsuo's face up to his. "What the hell did she ever do to you?!"

Mitsuo's dry laughter continued to taunt him, echoing in his mind as Yosuke released one hand and tightened it into a fist.

"Yosuke! Stop!" Souji shouted, but his words didn't reach his friend's ears.

"Why her?! Why Saki-senpai?! TELL ME, YOU BASTARD!" Yosuke raised his fist, poised to smash the boy's face in when Kanji grabbed him by his wrists and dragged him away, shoving Mitsuo backwards with his foot. Mitsuo hit his head hard against the low railing of the platform, knocking him out once more. Souji could see that Yosuke was on the verge of tears while Rise herself had to look away, tears beginning to form in her own eyes. Even though she never knew who Saki Konishi was, she could feel Yosuke's pain just by listening to him.

"…Y-Yosuke-senpai…" she muttered to herself. Souji pulled out his handkerchief for her to use while he turned his attention to Kanji.

"Kanji-kun, where are the others?" he asked.

"Junes. They went to getcha a new shirt," the big teen said while still holding back an unhinged Yosuke. Souji reached over his shoulder and felt his fingertips brush across bare skin.

"Your wounds looked so severe that we had Yosuke-senpai, Yukiko-senpai, and Teddie heal you all at the same time," Rise added as she began to settle down. "But, we had to return here to recover their energy."

"How'd you restore their energy?"

"The fox," she said as she pointed to the three TV sets. A fox with scars littering its body came out from behind the sets wearing a frilly, red bib decorated with pink hearts. It moved to scratch its neck and a small leaf fell from the bib.

"Its thanks to those leaves that we got to heal you," Yosuke said gruffly as he yanked his arm away from Kanji. Rather than move towards Mitsuo, he went over to the TVs next to the fox. "Sorry for losing control just now, everyone."

"It's okay, Yosuke-senpai. I'm sure you had you reasons," Rise piped up, mostly back to her normal self.

"Don' worry about it. Even I gotta bash someone's head in sometimes," Kanji grinned.

_I thought your last threat included 'renovating' someone's ass. Oh well, I'm the only one here who would know anything about that._

"Thanks, guys," Yosuke flashed them a pitiful smile before turning his back towards them and leaning his shoulder against the TVs. "I'll try to keep cool from now on."

They fell into an awkward silence, unsure of what to say or if they should even say anything at all. Souji broke the ice by changing the subject back to himself.

"How bad was I?"

"Bad enough to scare the shit outta us," Kanji said quietly. "I thought you were already…"

Yosuke knelt down and scratched the fox's head, keeping his back to them. "Seeing you cough blood was scary enough, but when we saw your back, we were afraid for the worst. Teddie, Yukiko-san and I pulled our powers together to heal you as quickly as possible."

_That explains why I tasted blood in my mouth. But, the only way of me coughing blood is if I have a punctured lung, right? But for that to happen, something needed to poke a hole in my lungs and the only thing I can think of is if I had broken ribs. Holy crap, I could've died! _"Well, you guys did a good job of it. I owe you one," Souji smiled. He felt something get pulled off of his lap and looked back at Rise, who was now draping something soft over his exposed back.

"We can't risk you catching a cold," she said, spreading the cloth evenly over him. "Yukiko-senpai left this for you before she went with Teddie and Chie-senpai back to our world."

_Yukiko-san left her sweater for me? So, she was worried about me? _Souji smiled warmly at the thought of Yukiko laying her sweater across his chest as he slept. _Hold up. Chie-chan went to Junes, too? Then, who's paying for my shirt?_ Yosuke caught the sour look on Souji's face and straightened up.

"Don't worry, I told Chie to get you something cheap," he told him. Souji breathed a sigh of relief.

"Had to," Kanji said as he prodded an unconscious Mitsuo with his shoe. "There's barely anythin' left in your wallet after we had to pay the fox."

Souji cried silent, invisible tears as he sunk his head low. Rise patted his shoulder. "Senpai, don't feel bad. Think of it like you were able to buy your life back!"

_I think she just basically said that my life is worth only the amount of yen the fox charges,_ Souji thought miserably as his head sunk even lower. He was about to enter a full-on depression when Teddie bounced in from the stack of TVs.

"We're back! How's Sensei?" Teddie asked, still wearing his bear suit. Soon after, Chie and Yukiko fell through the TVs, Yukiko clutching a Junes bag in her hand.

"He's awake and doesn't seem to have any lasting damage," Rise informed him as she got to her feet. Souji also stood up, glad that he didn't feel any dizziness or aches after his ordeal. Chie cocked her head at him.

"Even after all that healing, you still don't look so good," she said after examining him. "Are you sure you're not sick or anything?"

"I'm fine," he told her. With a dropped voice, he whispered, "I'm just concerned about how much of my money you spent at Junes."

To his surprise, she smiled at him. "You have nothing to worry about! We made sure to hit the clearance racks for you!"

_She actually went with something cheap? Oh, Chie-chan, I could almost hug you, if only you didn't charge me so much earlier._ Souji sighed when he heard light footsteps behind him. He turned around to find Yukiko holding the Junes bag before him.

"Um, before you put this on, please keep in mind that this is courtesy of Chie and Teddie," she said timidly as he took the bag from her.

_What could those two possibly have gotten me to make Yukiko-san renounce any credit of buying me this?_ He shrugged and pulled Yukiko's sweater off from around his shoulders before handing it back to her. "Thanks for lending this to me," he said gratefully.

"Oh, it's no trouble," she said shyly as she pulled it on. "It would've been bad if you became ill with those injuries."

He nodded before going off to a corner of the small platform to change his shirt. He felt around his sleeves and back, feeling mostly his own skin and singed cloth. He reached up his back from below and found that most of his shirt had been burned away. Smooth skin greeted his soft caress before his pulled his hand away to work at his buttons.

_What a waste,_ he thought to himself as he began to undo his buttons from the top. He looked out over the edge of the platform, in awe of the silhouettes of crooked buildings off in the distance. The sky was a horrid red and black swirl, and Souji could see beyond the frames of his glasses the thick fog that encircled the area. He unfastened the last button, his thin torso peeking out from behind the cloth.

_Ah, nice and flat—the way it should be,_ he told himself as he played his fingers across his abs. His eyes roamed over his chest next, seeing perfect pectorals with no signs of flabbiness to them. _Hands down—I am one sexy beast!_

He shrugged out of his shirt, letting the ruined cloth fall down his chiseled arms until they reached his waist, not bothering to free his hands from the cloth restraint just yet. His newly exposed upper body felt refreshed when the warm air hit him, and he stood there for a few moments to relish in the heavenly freedom. He was about to shake his hands out of his sleeves when he heard a loud yip from the fox. He craned his neck to look over his shoulder and saw that everyone had gathered around to watch him disrobe.

_Dearest Mother and Father, how are you? I am pleased to say that I have made friends here in Inaba, who take pleasure in ogling at me while I undress,_ he thought bitterly as he pulled his shirt back on. He picked up the Junes bag and walked over to the stack of TVs, taking in the sight of Rise practically drooling, Chie staring at him with an open mouth, Yukiko hiding her face behind spread fingers that let her eyes peek through, Teddie smiling, the fox tilting its head, Kanji with furrowed eyebrows and Yosuke peeking over his shoulder to sneak a look at what everyone had fallen silent to. With an exasperated sigh, Souji hid behind the stack of TVs, allowing Yosuke to remain where he was to block him from view.

_I'm a little conflicted in how I should react to your guys' staring,_ Souji thought as he quickly removed his old shirt. _Should I be angry because they were peeping or happy because they liked what they saw? Or maybe I should feel disgusted, since Kanji and Teddie seemed to enjoy the view._

Souji finished changing behind the TV sets but didn't come out. Yosuke took one look at him and began to snicker, his mood lifting from the sight of his friend.

"Is something wrong, Sensei?" Teddie called from beyond the TV sets. "Does the shirt not fit?"

"It's not that it doesn't fit… it's…" He stepped out from his changing area wearing a frilly, long-sleeved shirt identical to Teddie's, only it was a deep shade of purple and allowed a sliver of Souji's chest to remain exposed.

_It's because I look like a gay pirate,_ he thought wretchedly as he eyed both Chie and Teddie. _Why don't we complete the image with me summoning my pony and having Chie's backpack crap a huge rainbow over us?_

"Whoa, Senpai! You look so… so…" Even Rise was lost for words as Souji picked at the frilly collar.

"Chie-chan, how much did this cost?" he asked with a faint hint of doom in his voice.

"It was about forty percent off in the clearance bin, so maybe two thousand yen?" she answered with a frightened smile as she picked up on Souji's angered hint.

_There's a very good reason why it was in the bargain bin, and how you didn't pick up on it, I'll never know. And two thousand yen is still a lot for a fashion reject like this! _

"Sensei! Do you like it? I picked it out because I thought it would look best on you!" the bear asked with a hopeful look in his big, bear eyes. Souji took one look at his eyes and forced a smile.

"It's great… Teddie… It's really… great…"

"Yippee! Y'know, Yuki-chan wanted to get you something, too, but Chie-chan and I felt that this would get you all the ladies!"

_A plague on both your asses!_ Souji cursed the two in his mind when he caught a glimpse of Yukiko blushing before turning her head away. _Well, that's one lady I'm not getting._

"If we're all done here, we should hurry up and turn this guy in to the police," Souji announced to everyone. Kanji went over to Mitsuo while the others headed for the exit, crawling through one at a time.

"Hey, Seta-kun?"

Souji looked to his left and saw Yukiko whispering to him. "What's up?" he whispered back.

"Yosuke-kun seemed kind of down when we came in. Did something happen?"

Souji glanced over to the perturbed teen, seeing slightly red eyes before he stepped into one of the TVs. "He's just disappointed that Rise-chan allowed me the use of her lap, is all. You know how he's a huge fan of hers."

Without having to look at her, Souji could sense a little envy from her. "Oh… W-Well, I'm sure it must be a pleasure to rest your head in a celebrity's lap!"

Without any further questions, Yukiko practically threw herself through the TV, her foot catching on the edge of the screen before slipping through easily. Kanji followed while dragging their captive by the ankle back to their world. The only ones left were Souji and Rise.

"How come you lied to Yukiko-senpai?" she asked him.

"Oh, you heard that?" he asked, and she nodded. "Everyone has their issues, and this happens to be part of Yosuke's. There's no need for everyone to know about it," he said softly. She looked at him with admiration.

"Senpai, you really are a nice guy," she said, handing him back his handkerchief before leaving through the TV. Souji watched as she left him behind, her words still tugging at him.

"I'm a nice guy, huh?" he said to himself as he rested a hand against one of the TVs. "If I'm so nice, then how come I'm such a jerk?"

He picked up his sword and tucked it down his pant leg, not too happy that he would be walking funny while wearing his new shirt. As he stepped through the TV screen, he had a feeling that Rise's words were going to be one of those things that would stick in his mind for the rest of the day.

--

"Are you the killer?"

They were back in the Junes electronics department surrounding Mitsuo by the TV they had just entered from. Souji wanted to know if the boy was telling the truth about the murders and began to question him again.

"Get off my back…" Mitsuo said with a raspy voice as he sat on the ground. "I already told you… I did it…"

"Why…?" Rise asked. "How could you do such a thing?"

"Three people are dead because of you," Chie said with an accusing tone, but all the boy did was give another hollow laugh.

"Everyone's talking about it, right?" he asked weakly. "It's a huge deal… and I did it! All of it! All by myself…!"

He continued to laughed, stirring more anger within Yosuke. "You just wanted attention…?"

"Then why did you target me and the others?" Yukiko questioned. "How did you kidnap us?"

He looked up at the girl and smiled. "Whoa… look who it is… Haha, hey, Yuki…"

_Hey, don't you go acting all familiar with her! I bet you don't even know her enough that you can't even figure out her favorite color! _Souji subconsciously balled his hands into fists.

"After all this time… now you wanna talk to me? Haha… what bullshit," Mitsuo scoffed.

"Answer me! If you held a grudge against me, that's fine… But why the others?" Yukiko scornfully raised her voice at him. He could only laugh at her reaction.

"What a joke… You're so desperate it hurts…"

_At least she didn't have to kill anyone for attention. You're just a little attention whore, aren't you?_

"I didn't care who I attacked… Everyone pisses me off…" he grinned sardonically. Yosuke let out a choked noise.

"You what…?" Yosuke ground his teeth as he gripped one of his knives tightly. "…Gotta be… kidding me… You killed Senpai over nothing!? You son of a bitch!!"

He made no move towards the boy. Instead, he stood there, gripping both of his knives to keep control over himself. Kanji, however, was the one to stand before Mitsuo.

"I hope you're ready to get what's comin' to you…" he said in a low, aggressive tone while he cracked his knuckles.

"Haha… What, you gonna kill me?" Mitsuo said mockingly. Fear stabbed into Yukiko when she realized that Kanji might be the type to actually do something that extreme.

"Kanji-kun!?" she shouted, but the bigger boy leaned forward and grabbed Mitsuo by the front of his shirt and raised him high enough so that his feet were off the ground.

"Kill you…? It ain't gonna be that easy, you piece of shit. What you did can never be taken back," he growled. "No, you're gonna own up to your crimes and pay for what you did. You ain't gonna be allowed to kick the bucket until you understand _exactly_ what it is you've done!"

He dropped the boy back onto the ground, letting him fall back on his backside. Mitsuo was no longer smiling, but now looked concerned about the consequences of his actions.

_He finally realizes it,_ Souji thought when he saw the look on the boy's face. _He knows that he's about to become someone's prison bitch._

"Why dammit…? Why did she have to die because of this bastard…?" Yosuke's voice cracked as he asked this. No one knew what to say to help comfort him, so Kanji took control.

"Dude… the cops," he said firmly. Yosuke's expression softened at Kanji's voice.

"Huh?"

"What're you waitin' for?! Call the damn police!"

Yosuke released his grip on his knives, a sheen of sweat forming on his forehead. "Y-Yeah… You're right…"

He reached into his pocket for his cell phone and felt a hand on his shoulder.

"… Yosuke…" Chie said gently. She gave his shoulder a comforting squeeze before taking her hand away to let him dial. A few minutes later, the police came to take away Mitsuo.

_Farewell, Prison Bitch. You're in for many long, bumpy nights, _Souji thought as the police drove him away. Once he was out of their sight, they agreed to return home to freshen up and meet back at their secret headquarters.

--

By now, the rain had let up and umbrellas were no longer needed. On the Samegawa River Plain, Souji, Teddie and Yosuke were on their way back to their homes to clean themselves up with Souji walking strangely again due to his sword being back down his pant leg. Teddie had removed his bear suit and had it tucked under his arm while Chie's green backpack rode merrily on his shoulders. The blonde boy ran ahead of them, chatting animatedly to anyone close by.

"Hey…" Souji said softly to Yosuke. "Are you gonna be okay?"

"I think so," he replied just as softly. "I can't believe I lost control like that. I feel kinda relieved after finally catching Senpai's murderer, but just to hear his reason for killing her really…"

Souji could feel the guilt emanating from his friend. "Hey, we all lose control at some point, so don't worry about it. You had every right to blow up like that. And, it's not like you hit him or anything."

"Yeah, I guess so, but that still doesn't drop the fact that I really wanted to." He adjusted the big headphones around his neck, trying to find something to keep his hands busy as he delved into his thoughts. "What kind of sick bastard is twisted enough to kill just to get some attention? Why does it have to be murder for him to turn to?"

"Who knows? Maybe he had some serious issues that weren't taken care of properly," Souji reasoned while the wind ruffled his gaudy shirt. He ignored the people they passed by that stared at him with his anomalous walk and garish shirt.

"Maybe you're right. He didn't look the type who had friends he could rely on. Good thing I've got you, huh?" Yosuke's glum face broke into a smile. "It's pretty lucky that you came here, or else maybe we could've lost our other friends, like Yukiko-san."

Souji cast his eyes over the river, deep in thought. "… Yeah…"

The messy-haired boy noticed his friend's sudden sullenness. "Hey, can I ask you something? Why'd you do it?"

Souji looked back at Yosuke. "Do what?"

"Y'know, why'd you take that bomb for Yukiko-san? I mean, yeah, I doubt that you really needed all three of us healing you, so I'm sure me and Teddie would've been enough just for Yukiko-san…"

_Even though we're not together anymore, I still did something dumb like that and Yosuke's questioning it. I wonder how many others are wondering the same thing. _Up ahead, Souji could see Teddie letting a group of kids try on the blue head for his bear suit. "I guess, because she's a friend."

Yosuke shot him a sly look. "Yeah, right, sure. So, how come you two were so pissed at each other? I mean, hell, Chie and I get into our own little fights but we never got as pissed at each other like you and Yukiko-san."

Souji stopped his difficult walk. "Well, I guess because we're not a potential couple like you and Chie-chan."

"Wh-What?! Oh, come on! That's total bull!" Yosuke gave the appearance of someone getting skewered through the heart. "Well, what about this: the more two people fight, the more they actually care about each other!"

_And now to move in for the kill._ "You and Chie-chan fight way more than me and Yukiko-san. Besides, we just had a small disagreement earlier. We don't fight on a daily basis like you two. Besides, you two looked rather sweet on each other earlier at Junes."

"Ngh… She was just being nice! Dammit, is there anyone who can beat you at an argument?!" Yosuke resumed walking, his face burning furiously as he quickened his pace so that Souji would have a harder time keeping up. When Souji finally got to his house, he took a deep breath and hoped that Nanako had gone grocery shopping for the day.

"Welcome home, Big Bro!"

_Hello, Little Child! Great, now I'm a pirate pedophile._ "Hey, Nanako-chan," Souji called from the doorway, not too pleased at how his luck was going for the day. When he stepped into the family room, Nanako's hands flew up to her mouth.

"Wow! Where did you get that?" she asked as she eyed his frilly purple shirt. He tugged at the frilly collar again.

"Uh… Teddie bought it as a gift… For being a great friend," Souji muttered. "Look, I'm gonna go change, but I'm gonna be out again."

Her face fell slightly. "Oh, okay." She picked up the TV remote and changed the channel, seemingly disappointed that Souji wouldn't be staying home for the day.

"Sorry, Nanako-chan, but there's still some things I gotta take care of," Souji told her on his way up the stairs. "I promise I'll play with you when I get home."

The girl sighed heavily. "Dad says that a lot, too," Souji heard her say before he shut the door to his room. He opened his closet to find some clothes to change into.

_I'm a nice guy, huh, Rise-chan?_ He thought as he pulled a shirt off a hanger. _If only you knew…_

--

Back at the Junes food court, everyone gathered at the big, rectangular table. Sodas sat before each teen as they discussed everything that had gone on.

_Why was the only available seat next to Yukiko-san?_ Souji questioned as he stole glances to the girl on his left. Yukiko simply sat there with her hands folded in her lap.

"At least Adachi-san seemed happy…" Chie said in a not-so-satisfied tone.

"Well, I guess this means our work is done…" Yosuke said almost as gloomily as her. Chie stared hard into the table's surface.

"He did it all to draw attention… I can't get my head around that, it's just wrong," she mumbled. "I mean, not that it would've been okay if he had a better reason…"

Yosuke gave her an understanding look. "I know… Don't worry."

"It's finally over…" Rise said as she tapped her finger on her soda can. "Let's leave the rest to the police."

Teddie took a sip of his soda. "My world will be peaceful again now," he smiled, but his tone didn't match his expression.

"Yeah. I'm happy for you," Yukiko said to the blonde boy. "We really went through a lot…"

"Like scoring with guys!"

Yukiko shot a deathly glare at Teddie. "Oh, come on…! Will you ever let that go?"

Kanji was halfway through gulping his drink when he spat his mouthful out, managing to turn his head away from the table before spraying anything. "What…? Scoring with guys!?"

"Y-You don't need to know the details," Yukiko said quickly, her face beginning to grow pink. "I'm sure you'd like us to forget the sauna incident too… _right,_ Kanji-kun?"

The big guy on Yukiko's left shrunk into himself. "Urgh… W-Well…"

"That's not fair… I wanted to see everyone else's, too!" Rise expressed with a sigh.

"That's right. We three are the only ones who saw everyone's secret," Yosuke recalled. Souji wasn't sure if the third person was Chie or Teddie until he remembered that Teddie was with them from the very beginning. Chie had joined the team after Yosuke's episode at the Konishi liquor store inside the TV.

"Hey, so what was Yosuke's like? C'mon, it's about time you told us," Chie urged Souji. Everyone focused on Souji, who sat with his hand on his soda can.

"Pretty much like everyone else," he said before taking a sip. Everyone was about to protest when Yosuke spoke up.

"C-C'mon, let's leave it at that!" he said with a wink. Everyone moaned in disappointed when Yosuke realized something else. "Speaking of which, nothing really happened in your case, huh?"

Once again, all eyes were back on Souji. _Can we stop staring at me? It makes me feel like I'm naked. Though, I'd rather you stared at me naked than with that gay pirate shirt again. At least the naked me was hot. The half-naked me, not the full-naked one. The full-naked me would burn your eyes out from how hot I am. Just ask Chie-chan, she came close to seeing that._

"Really… Wait, really? Is there something special about Senpai after all?" Rise asked.

"Sensei is da man!" Teddie said with a thumbs up.

"But now that the case is solved, we won't be callin' you "Leader" anymore, will we…?" Kanji said gloomily.

"Oh yeah… It's kinda sad," Chie sighed. The rest of the table joined in her misery of no longer having adventures inside the TV when Rise had an idea.

"Hey, why don't we have a celebration?" she suggested. "We always have a wrap party after we're done shooting. It's fun, and it'll help give us some closure."

"Ooh, a party! That sounds great! Let's go all out!" Chie agreed.

_And who exactly is paying for this party?!_ Souji automatically reached for his wallet and felt how slim it had become in the last few hours.

"Ooh, ooh! I wanna go to Yuki-chan's house!" Teddie requested. "Gorgeous dinner, hot springs, table tennis, yukata! Geisha, Fujiyama, full wootness!"

_What the hell are you teaching him, Yosuke? _Souji, however, did like the idea of relaxing in the hot springs after all the running around they had done.

"You're right… Yukiko-senpai's family runs a hot springs inn…" Kanji said dreamily. "A-A hot spring that… Yukiko-senpai bathes in, too…?"

_Mmm, Kanji-kun seems to have good taste. Wait, get her naked image outta your mind!_ Souji looked at Yukiko, who didn't seem to notice what Kanji was getting at.

"Hey, keep it to yourself… you're sounding like a creep," Yosuke told him off.

Yukiko shook her head. "W-Well, it sounds like fun, but I don't think it's possible today…" she explained.

"Yeah, it's summer vacation," Chie reasoned. "All the rooms must be occupied."

Teddie sunk back into his seat. "We can't do a sleepover…?"

"Maybe next time," Yukiko told him. "I promise."

_Maybe next time…? Why did I feel a sting just now when I heard that? _Souji straightened up in his seat.

"Hey, why don't we hit your place instead?" Yosuke asked Souji. "Oh, but will your uncle get suspicious? Like, 'why are you all celebrating?'"

"You mind if Nanako's there?" Souji asked.

"Why would we leave her out? The more, the merrier," Yosuke grinned.

"Oh yeah, if your uncle's a detective, he might not come home tonight…" Chie thought aloud. "Nanako-chan might be getting hungry."

Yukiko wrapped her hands around her soda. "Hey, then why don't we make dinner together?"

Souji and Yosuke both felt shivers run down their spines while Rise perked up. "Wow… Are you good at cooking, Senpai?" she asked Chie.

"W-Well… sort of?" Chie answered, unsure of herself. Yosuke made a strangled noise on Chie's right.

"What are you saying…?" he asked. "Did you already forget the tragedy of the school campout!?"

Souji remembered the tragedy very well. Yukiko and Chie volunteered to cook for Souji and Yosuke and wound up making something so horrific that Souji had collapsed from one spoonful of the demonic concoction.

"W-We already told you that was an accident!" Chie raised her voice at him.

"She's right! We just got a couple of the ingredients wrong!" Yukiko said defensively.

"Guys, please don't do this, I'm begging you," Yosuke whimpered. "I don't need another trauma to deal with…"

Rise shrugged and turned back to the rest of the group. "Hey, I'm a good cook, too!" she said, hoping to raise everyone's spirits about the cooking party. "I'll make something for you, Senpai."

She batted her eyelashes at Souji, who steeled himself against her advances. _Why do I still fend her off when I'm a free man? I can go out with her if I want, right? I should appreciate it if she makes something just for me!_

"Tadaaaah! Teddie has a great idea!" Teddie announced. "Let's have a cooking battle! The winner will be crowned Iron Cook Inaba!"

No one seemed to approve of his idea. Yosuke snorted at the thought. "A cooking battle? Now I'm even more worried…"

Chie took up the challenge. "S-Sure, that sounds fun," she said haughtily.

"Aww, but I'll win hands-down," Rise denigrated. "You sure you want to make this easy?"

Both Yukiko and Chie looked fiercely at the younger girl while Yosuke shot pleading eyes at Souji. "Dude, listen to me. For the sake of our stomachs, you have to cook something too."

He got to his feet, his palms flat on the table as he stared fixedly at Souji. "Help us, Souji! You're our only hope…"

"Then you can represent the guys' team," Chie told him. "Nanako-chan will be our judge!"

Kanji grinned at the idea of free food. "I can be a taster, too!"

"Teddie can be a tester, too!" Teddie whooped across the table from Kanji. "At the end, you're supposed to say, 'That was delicious!' right?"

As Yosuke sat back down, Chie stood up with her hands on her hips. "Whoo! I'm getting all fired up! Alright! Let us advance forth into the grocery section downstairs! Chaaarge!"

--

A few floors down in the grocery section of the department store, Souji and the others made a call to his little cousin to ask what she wanted for dinner.

"Fried rice omelette… An excellent choice, Nanako-chan," Yosuke said with a little more enthusiasm than before. "With a dish that simple, I doubt we'll get a second helping of Mystery Food X."

As Souji put his cell phone back in his pocket, Yosuke found himself the prime target of death glares from two of the girls. "… Huh? What's wrong?" he asked innocently.

"… N-Nothing," Chie replied as she forced her face to soften. "Alright, let's go get our ingredients."

With that said, the three girls went off in search of ingredients, leaving the boys to wonder something rather odd about their method of gathering items.

"Uh… If they're all making the same thing, why are they splitting up to different parts of the market…?" Yosuke asked aloud, saying exactly what was on the other boys' minds.

_Let's just pray that they're doing that to psych us out._

"Hey, what kind of omelette are you making? I'll go and get the ingredients for ya," Yosuke offered while Kanji headed off in his own direction.

"I'm thinking of something with an Asian American feel, so I'll need eggs, soy sauce…"

About fifteen minutes later, the cart was filled with ingredients for everyone's individual dishes. Yosuke was scanning the products with his eyes when he picked up a container and read the label.

"Foie gras!?" he blurted out suddenly. Rise beamed at him.

"Quite an eye you got there, Senpai," she said proudly. "It's a must-have for my special omelette!"

He carefully placed the ingredient back in the cart while Rise giggled mischievously. "Don't worry—I'll let you have a taste. Ooh, or maybe I could spoon feed you."

_What about me? I thought I was the one you liked?_ Souji thought sadly to himself while watching Yosuke's face light up with her offer.

"I heard last time you choked down something so awful that words couldn't describe it…" she said pitiably.

"It was horrible…" Yosuke validated as he pulled a face. Both Chie and Yukiko shot him dirty looks, but he didn't seem to notice since a former idol was showering him with her attention.

"You poor dears… Who would do such a horrible thing…?" Rise cooed. Chie could be silent no longer.

"R-R-Rise-san? This is gonna be the only chance you get to gloat, is that clear?" Chie's voice took a nose dive towards a deeper tone for the last three words while her face twitched.

_Alas, the maiden has upset the mistress! This should be interesting._

"… I'll crush you with one strike," Yukiko snarled with a clenched fist at her side.

_…Hawt…_ Souji couldn't help but feel all warm and fuzzy after hearing his ex-girlfriend's one liner. _Okay, now I definitely gotta get her back._

After stopping Kanji from purchasing alcoholic beverages and prying Teddie away from a lady handing out free samples, they paid for their goods and headed towards Souji's house, the girls taunting one another on who would create the best dish.

--

_I smell death in this place._

Everyone gathered around the short table in the living room, four plates of various types of omelettes spread out before them. Nanako was thrilled to be seated between Risette and Teddie as she bounced happily in her seat.

"Bon appétit!" Rise said warmly to the small girl as she handed her a spoon. Nanako was about to take a heaping spoonful of Rise's glowing, red omelette when Yosuke stopped her.

"W-Well, wait a sec. Asking Nanako-chan to jump in and try these for us is kinda… unethical," he reasoned. He gave a brief glance at Chie, who shot him a stink eye.

"D-Don't look at us like that!" she said with a frown. On her left, Kanji nodded.

"Ohhh… So it's our job to taste it first, to make sure we can keep it down," he smiled, happy with his own brilliance.

Rise pouted. "Hey! That's mean!"

_Good job, Mr. Fabulous. Protect Little Child from Mystery Food X: Omelette Edition!_

Picking up another spoon, Rise handed it to Yosuke. "Then try mine first, Yosuke-senpai. It's guaranteed delicious!"

"You don't mind me going first?" Yosuke said as he took the spoon from her. "Actually, I've been looking forward to yours."

Souji looked again at the glowing lump of eggs. _Yes, this one definitely reeks of death. _

Yosuke pulled the plate closer to himself. "I mean, Risette cooked it herself. Can you imagine how many guys would kill me if they found out?"

_You'll be dead before the guys can even touch you._

"Well then, chow time!" Yosuke took a spoonful and happily took a bite, only to have his smile fade into a look of repugnance. He gagged and began sweating profusely, but managed to swallow every little bit of what he took. When he finally calmed down, he said, "I-I… Can't give this to Nanako-chan…"

Across the table, Rise was simply smoldering with glee. "Ooh! It's so delicious that you won't let anyone else have another bite?!"

Souji felt his own curiosity get the better of him as his hand mechanically took a spoonful of Rise's omelette. _No, what are you doing?! You're making a mistake! Bad hand! Bad!_ As soon as the omelette touched his tongue, it was like he was eating molten lava straight from the volcano. He blinked back tears while chewing quickly to swallow the fiery dish. From what Rise could see, her meal did not go so well with either of the boys.

"Here, try mine next," Yukiko offered. Kanji picked up his spoon.

"I'll take this one," he said bravely, clearly not knowing what to expect. He took a large amount of the meal onto his spoon.

"K-Kanji… That's a lot…" Yosuke observed, but the boy ate it with no problem. In fact, he took two more spoonfuls with a confused look on his face.

"H-Hey, say something," Yukiko insisted, wanting to know how her dish went.

"Well… Uh… How do I put this…?" Kanji stared at the half-eaten omelette on the plate. "It tastes really, um… boneless…?"

_Don't laugh, don't laugh, don't laugh!_ Souji bit his still-burning tongue to keep from laughing at Kanji's description. Tears nearly spilled from his eyes from the combination of his tongue burning while being crushed between his teeth.

Yukiko narrowed her eyes at her taste tester. "What!? That's not a word you use to describe taste! Does it taste good or not!? Tell me!"

_Ooh, she's becoming more forceful. That earns more brownie points for her in my book._ While Kanji searched for a good answer to appease Yukiko, Souji took the time to sample her meal. He prepared himself for the worst before placing the normal-looking omelette into his mouth, in case it was going to be as shocking as Rise's. _Huh? There's no taste? Not even a little salt? What the hell?_

Kanji tapped his spoon on the plate. "Not good, that's for sure. It tastes like… Like I'm eating plain oatmeal…"

Souji nodded. _Yup, that's what it tastes like. Spot-on description, Mr. Fabulous._

"It's pretty impressive that you put so many ingredients into a dish and it came out tasting like nothing," Kanji tried to comment in a positive way, but it only seemed to upset Yukiko further.

"Y-Your palate just isn't refined enough!" she shouted at him while Nanako reached over and took a bit of her omelette.

"… I think it tastes good," Nanako said with a smile.

_You're too kind, Little Child. But please, for your own sake, don't try the others!_

Yukiko beamed at the small girl. "Nanako-chan…" she said in a more calm voice. Next to her, Chie was growing more and more anxious about her own omelette.

"O-Okay… Try mine next," she said as she eyed her own plate. Her omelette looked like it had been left cooking a little longer than needed, as it was burned quite a fair amount. "Urgh… I dunno about this… But I think it'll taste good! This time for sure!"

_You can think that because you're not the one tasting it,_ Souji thought with worry as he planned out which part of the dish to pick at.

"I'll give it a whirl," Teddie volunteered. Everyone watched closely as he ate small spoonful after small spoonful, smiling the whole way through.

"H-How is it…?" Chie asked cautiously. Teddie looked up from the plate and swallowed.

"Wow! This tastes awful!" he announced. Chie felt her hopes get crushed. "You have to try this, Yosuke!"

"Dude, not after you say that…" Yosuke said, but took a bite anyway. After processing the morsel, he gave his review. "Ahhh… I see…"

_He didn't pass out. Then it must be a huge improvement from the campout._ Souji tried a portion of Chie's omelette and nearly spat it out. _Ugh, never mind. It sucks._

"Well, um… It's a huge improvement over the curry…" Yosuke said to try to make her feel better. Chie dipped her head low.

"Yeah, thanks for the consolation… I feel soooo much better…"she said grumpily. Nanako didn't seem to like the reviews given to Chie, so she sampled her dish as well.

"I think, this tastes good, too," she said, taking short pauses between each word while her face twitched. Chie felt her heart get warmed by her kind words.

"Nanako-chan…" she crooned at the girl's sweetness. Yukiko stared at Chie's plate before taking a bite from it.

"Oh yeah, they're right…" she said once she was able to swallow. "They're totally right! It tastes _awful_!"

She burst out in a fit of laughter after tasting the ghastly omelette, causing Chie to burn a fierce red.

"Then try Rise-chan's! I bet you anything mine tastes better than hers!" Chie challenged her friend. Yukiko regained control of her laughter and locked eyes with her, accepting her challenge. She then looked at Rise, who was just brimming with hope that her omelette would be better than Chie's. Yukiko tipped a bit of Rise's omelette onto her spoon and ate it, her body tensing up the second it touched her tongue.

"U-Urhg…" was all Yukiko could choke out before dropping her spoon and falling flat on her back, completely passing out from Rise's dish.

"S-Senpai!?" Rise stared at the unconscious girl, shocked that her meal was capable of slaying anyone.

_Oh snap! I don't think she's playing!_ Souji straightened his back to get a better look at Yukiko, who was genuinely passed out. _No good! She didn't have past experience with these foods like me and Yosuke! We need to call an ambulance!_

"Sure enough… One strike," was all Kanji could say.

_You ass monkey! She's dying!_ Souji panicked internally while keeping his façade nice and cool. Either way, no one seemed worried at all and figured that she would wake up with no memory of the event whatsoever.

"Well, Yukiko-san's and Chie's didn't taste good either… But at least theirs didn't cause any casualties… Haha…" Yosuke laughed dryly.

"I-It's a taste too subtle for kids! It's a mature flavor!" Rise began to cry. "You guys are just kids… I, I…"

With a few sniffs, she began to wail loudly, making the guys feel a little guilty. Nanako took a bite out of Rise's omelette and gasped quietly before saying anything.

"It's spicy, but it's still good," she said quickly, tears pouring down her cheeks as she smiled. Rise's tears stopped almost immediately as she threw her hands around the small girl.

"Nanako-chan…!" she cried, rocking the small girl back and forth in her hug. "I knew it! Nanako-chan's the most mature person in this room!"

Chie examined Nanako's face closer. "C-Crocodile tears!?"

_Whoa, Little Child conquered all three dishes without passing out. How the heck did that happen? Oh well, as long as she's still alive, Uncle won't disown me,_ Souji grinned to himself.

"Oh yeah, didn't you make one too, Senpai?" Kanji asked him.

"You did!? Ooh…" Nanako felt Rise's arms release her to let her try the untouched omelette. After one bite, Nanako was in heaven. "This is really good! I've never had an omelette with fried rice this good! It's amazing!"

Everyone (except Yukiko, who was still passed out) sampled Souji's cooking and agreed that it was no contest. Yukiko eventually regained consciousness after all the plates were cleared from the table and washed, still feeling a dull pain in her mouth. After dinner, they discussed plans for the summer, including attending the festival at Tatsuhime Shrine. Nanako was barely able to contain herself at the thought of hanging out with everyone and was a little sad when it was time for everyone to leave.

"I'll come back and play with you again, Nana-chan!" Teddie waved as he left with Yosuke. They left in pairs as usual, Kanji heading for the shopping district with Rise, Yosuke going home with Teddie, and Chie escorting Yukiko to the inn before returning home herself. As they left the neighborhood, Chie heard an odd noise come from Yukiko's stomach.

"Hey, are you hungry or something? You didn't really get to eat anything, now that I think about it," Chie pointed out.

"No, I'm not all that hungry. I'm sure my stomach will settle eventually," Yukiko said as another noise sounded. "Hm, it must've been something I ate…"

"If that's the case, it was probably Rise-chan's omelette!" Chie defended herself.

"I also tried yours, didn't I? You can't blame it all on…" the color drained from Yukiko's face suddenly as the feeling of nausea washed over her.

"Hey, are you okay? Maybe we can ask Souji-kun if you could use—"

"We can't do that! I—"

They were already halfway up the river plain when Yukiko grabbed Chie's shoulder for support. "Ch-Chie… I don't think I…"

"Hold on, Yukiko! I'll get you home!" Chie yelled as she allowed Yukiko to climb on her back. She piggy-backed her friend all the way up the hill in record time, Yukiko just barely making it to the nearest toilet.

--

Back at the Dojima residence, Souji had just finished his bath and was dressed and ready for bed, glad that the day was finally over. After brushing his teeth, he returned to the living room to find Nanako dressed in her pajamas and still watching TV.

"Time for bed, Nanako-chan," he said as he crossed the room to grab the remote.

"Big Bro? How come you didn't tell me you were friends with Rise-chan?" his little cousin asked as she handed him the remote.

"Well, I didn't know you were a fan of hers," he replied as he turned the TV off. "Maybe next time you see her, you can get her autograph."

"Okay! And then we can all play together! With Teddie, and Papa Kanji, and…"

She yawned as Souji guided her to her bedroom. He tucked her into her futon, where she fell asleep almost immediately.

_Papa Kanji… How cute can you get? I should probably explain to her later that there's a good reason why Kanji-kun calls me Senpai. _Souji laughed softly to himself on his way up to his room. First he headed to his closet, where he opened one of the doors that had the large mirror inside. He yanked off his shirt and turned his back to the mirror, checking for any abnormalities in his back.

_Wow, they really did do a good job of healing me,_ he thought as he flexed his arms in the mirror. _Not even a tiny scar! I'm still gorgeous!_

He closed the closet and pulled his shirt back on before taking a seat in his desk chair. With his arm resting over the back of his chair, he used his free hand to open the top drawer of his desk and pulled out Yukiko's handkerchief.

_Maybe… I should give her a call. _He removed his arm from the back of the chair, flipped open his cell phone and dialed her number. After four rings, he got her voice mail and hung up.

_Okay, maybe she doesn't wanna talk about it. Then I'll just have to infiltrate her place and force her to talk! … But, that might not go so well with her parents._

Still holding the handkerchief, he got up and lay on top of his futon, holding it above his face. _Reviving her when she gets knocked out, eating dangerous omelettes, being her meat shield… It's so obvious how I feel about Yukiko-san._ _But, I wonder how she feels about me. She covered me with her sweater before taking the time to look for a less-humiliating shirt for me. So, does that mean she feels the same about me? Or was she just playing nice to show no hard feelings?_

He let out a sigh and set the handkerchief next to his pillow by his cell phone. _Even Yosuke noticed how close we were, even though we were in the middle of hating each other. But wait, if we were in the middle of hating each other, why the heck were we being so nice to each other? I get my reason, so what's hers?_

He rolled over to look at his cell phone, expecting Yukiko to call any minute to return his call. When nothing happened after a few moments, he grabbed his phone and started opening and closing it, anxious for her call. He finally came to accept that she wasn't going to call and set it back down next to her handkerchief.

_Okay, for sure—surprise visit tomorrow. We gotta talk._

--

Author's note: Yeah, sorry this was delayed. I originally intended to have it done by last Thursday, but I just didn't have the inspiration to write last week. I finally felt something spark and sat down to finish it, but because of how the game is, it's just another filler-type chapter. Speaking of which, you're probably going to find more of those to fill in the rest of the summer.

Okay, in the part where Yosuke's about to hit Mitsuo, I actually had him beat him up at one point. Then at the last second, I decided "I don't think Yosuke's the type to actually go that far" and changed it. There were a few other issues I had with some characters, but I guess I'll just have to go back and study the game again (I've been reading a lot of P4 fanfics with various characterizations, so I think I'm accidentally taking on those characterizations rather than the originals _#).

I also had to change the location of the first time they interrogate Mitsuo for Souji's sake. How mean would it be if after they defeated the shadow they immediately started questioning Mitsuo and forgot all about Souji? It might have ended up like this:

"Are you the killer?" Yosuke demanded. Behind him and his friends, Souji lay in agony as he tried in vain to capture their attention.

"I-It… hurtsss…" Souji whimpered, trying anything to draw their attention. _If I can summon Unicorn, I can use Zionga to catch their attention! But, who do I use it on? Definitely not Yukiko-san, maybe Chie-chan for robbing me blind, Rise-chan's been really nice, and Teddie's just plain innocent. Kanji-kun's already got enough going on with the whole sewing thing, and Yosuke's gotta take over Junes some day. If I fry Kubo, he could press charges against me. So that leaves…_

A blue card formed in his hand, and he crushed it with the last of his strength, casting Mazionga on everyone to keep things fair. They screamed before falling to the ground with multiple thuds sounding around him. Souji picked up his head and saw that he had rendered everyone unconscious.

_Shit, now I'm totally screwed._

Thanks again for reading, reviewing, favoriting, and following in general! Everything you guys do for me keeps me going, and I hope you're all enjoying reliving the story as much as I am!

Oh, and Zero? Thanks for telling me about that little typo in the last chapter!


	15. Chapter 15

Early the next morning, Souji was already up and dressed in a pair of dark blue jeans, a white T-shirt and a long-sleeved, button down, light blue shirt with the sleeves rolled up just below his elbows. He checked himself in the mirror, making sure that not a single strand of silvery hair was out of place on his head. He smoothed out his bowl cut and pulled at his clothes again, wondering if he should button his shirt or leave it open.

_Let's make this a little easier on me,_ he thought as he closed his closet door and went downstairs where his little cousin was loading some laundry into the washing machine.

"Pretty early to start working hard, especially since it's summer," Souji said as he leaned an arm against the laundry room doorway.

"I have to, or else Dad won't have any clean clothes for work," she said as she threw some detergent into the washer. She started the machine and looked up at him. "Are you going somewhere today, Big Bro?"

"Yeah, I'm gonna go see a friend today. Hey, which looks better—open, or closed?" he indicated to his light blue shirt, displaying the options as he said them. Nanako thought for a moment.

"You never worried about things like that before. Normally, you just leave the house after breakfast. …Are you visiting a girl?"

_She's onto me! Why must the Little Child question the truth?!_ "If I said yes, will you tell me which one looks better?"

Nanako's face lit up as she grabbed his hand. "Who is it? Was she here yesterday? Is it Rise-chan?! Are you dating Rise-chan?!"

"Whoa! Calm down, Nanako-chan!" Souji laughed as she began to shake his arm vigorously. "I'm not dating Rise-chan, nor do I plan to. Yosuke might get jealous."

"Aw, then who? Is it Big Sis Chie?" Nanako asked while swinging their arms back and forth. Souji started walked towards the living room, the two still swinging their arms.

"Nanako-chan, I'm just going to visit a friend, that's all."

"But you said—"

"I said, 'if I said yes' to my friend being a girl, not 'yes, definitely'. See the difference?"

She stopped swinging her arm to think about it. "I think so. Then, which friend? Is it Big Sis Yukiko?"

"Why are you only listing the girls?" Souji asked with narrowed eyes.

"You spent a lot of time getting ready to go out after breakfast, and then you asked me which way your shirt looked better. It's like you're going on a date," she answered innocently. "You're even wearing that really nice-smelling stuff."

_Okay, if a six-year-old can figure me out, then I must really be doing a crappy job of hiding my feelings._ "Oh. I guess, I can at least tell you that you're not wrong about me visiting one of the girls," he said, unsure if he was going to regret it or not.

"Really?! Who is it?! Is it Ri—"

"No, no, we're not going through that again," he grinned as he led her to the short table.

"But why won't you tell me if you're just friends?" she asked as she sat in her usual spot, turning the TV on.

"Because people tend to take boy-girl friendships as romantic relationships, which is not what my friend and I have," he tried to explain. "For example, if Yosuke went shopping with Rise-chan, people would think that they were dating. By me telling you that I'm visiting one of the girls, you automatically assumed that I'm dating her."

"So, that's why you don't wanna tell me?"

"Pretty much."

"Okay," she said as she let go of his hand. "So, you're just visiting her because you're friends?"

"That's right." _Technically, that's really the truth, since we kinda broke up. _He patted her head and went to the door. "Hey, can I ask you something?"

"What is it?"

He tugged at his shirt again. "Open, or closed?"

After a few seconds of staring at him, she finally said, "Half and half!"

"Thanks. I'll see you later, okay?" Souji said as he pulled on his shoes.

"Okay! See you later, Big Bro!" she called as he left with a brisk walk down the street while buttoning his shirt halfway, leaving the top three buttons undone. He quickly slowed down when he realized that he had no idea what he was going to say to Yukiko.

--

_Ugh… How long does food poisoning last?_

Yukiko was lying in her futon, exhausted and dehydrated from last night's bout of throwing up. She reached under her pillow and pulled out the shrine charm.

_You worked when I brought you inside the TV, so why was I dumb enough to leave you at home before the cooking contest? _She questioned herself as she let her arm fall over her eyes. _I wonder how everyone else is doing. Especially Nanako-chan, since she ate everyone's omelettes. _

She turned to her side to get a better look at the charm. _I wonder how Souji-kun is. He seemed fine yesterday after the battle, so I'm sure he's okay. Still, I wish I could've been the one to watch over him while he was sleeping._

Her face twisted in a slight scowl as she recalled how Rise quickly jumped at being Souji's pillow while the rest of them healed him. _Maybe it was best that I went with Chie and Teddie to go find a shirt for him, or else I might've set Rise-chan's head on fire._

She squeezed the charm in her hand. _Does that mean… I'm jealous? Why should I be jealous? Souji-kun's the one that made fun of our relationship! What does it matter to me how happy he looked in her lap?! _

A knock on her door sent her hand with the charm diving back under her pillow. "Yukiko? Let me wash the sweat off your back," a voice called from the other side.

"C-Come in, Mother!" she said as she sat up. Sachiko came in holding a wash cloth and a bowl of warm water.

"Feeling better?" her mother asked as she shrugged her thin, white yukata with a light blue design down to her waist.

"A little. I still have some stomach cramps, but it's not as bad as last night," Yukiko replied as she unclasped her bra. After wriggling out of it, she set it next to her pillow while her mother prepped the wash cloth.

"Hm, you haven't thrown up in awhile, so that's a good sign—it looks like you got all the toxins out," Sachiko said as her daughter pulled her hair away from her back. "But, it's not good that you're missing so many days of work. Summer vacation has only begun and we're already short-handed."

"I'm sorry, Mother. I didn't mean to neglect my work." She felt the warm cloth press against her back, gently scrubbing her creamy-white skin.

"You've only missed about three days, so I don't mind as much. Your father, however…"

"Thinks that I'm prioritizing my friends more," Yukiko finished for her. "I know—he gave me a lecture loud enough for the whole inn to hear!"

"Honestly, he's a good man when it comes to business, but giving a lecture in front of our customers..." Sachiko sighed heavily as she continued to scrub her daughter's arms. "Just what do they think about our family after a display like that?"

"Mother, I agree that he shouldn't have lectured me in public, but he does have a point about me ignoring my duties," Yukiko remarked. "So, he might not be entirely at fault. I'm sure he's just worried about the future of our inn, especially after this past April."

"I suppose you're right, but that still doesn't give him the right to embarrass you like that!" Sachiko dunked the towel back in the luke-warm water and resumed washing Yukiko. "He can be such a nice man one minute and a brute the next—"

She was interrupted by her cell phone ringing in her yukata sleeve. Yukiko took the towel from her and continued scrubbing her arms while her mother busied herself with her phone. She listened in and caught bits and pieces of an issue with the ingredients being delivered for tonight's menu. Her mother soon snapped her phone shut and tucked it back into her sleeve.

"I'm sorry, but you'll have to finish the rest yourself. There's a conflict with one of our orders for tonight's dinner and if I don't fix it now we're going to end up with double the amount of dinners for one night," she explained as she got up to leave. "I'll have Kasai-san come later to take the bowl and towel down, so you just finish up and rest."

"I will, Mother. Thank you," Yukiko said as she started on her front.

"You welcome." She stood in the doorway staring at her daughter for a few moments when Yukiko looked up.

"Is something wrong?"

"Oh, I was just thinking that you're really becoming a fine, young woman and that I'm expecting you to bring home a wonderful boyfriend any day now."

Yukiko didn't quite catch what she was hinting at until she looked down at her bare chest. She threw her arms around herself in an attempt to cover up. "Mother!"

The door slid closed as Sachiko walked away with a small laugh, leaving a very red Yukiko to continue to wash herself as she thought about her mother's words. _I wonder if Souji-kun likes girls with that kind of quality… O-Ow…_

She doubled over as her stomach was hit with a major cramp and knew there was something different about the pain. _No, not this! Please, let the bathroom be empty…_

Dropping the damp towel back in the bowl, she tugged her yukata back up around her shoulders and folded her arms across her chest, in too much of a rush to dress herself properly just for an emergency trip to the bathroom. A few minutes later she returned to her room, collapsing on her futon face-down, moaning.

_Please, stop… No more trips to the bathroom…_

--

On the way up the Samegawa River Plain, Souji was arguing with himself again on what he should say to Yukiko once he was able to pull her away from work. He had taken the time to walk as slowly as possible just to get enough time to figure out his huge speech to her but found that for the first time in a long time, his mind was blank.

_GAH!! How the hell am I gonna tell her anything if I'm freakin' out?! And what if she's too busy to talk?! What if the maids are all around and they overhear us? Wait, they can't overhear us if I can't figure something to talk about! How do I even ask for her? Should I call her? What if she doesn't pick up? Do I break in and try to find her? I should've had Yosuke stationed near the entrance with his bike as a getaway car! Crapcrapcrapcrapcrap! I'm getting close to the inn!_

Before he knew it, he was right in front of the entrance. He could see two middle-aged women behind the front desk, one of them seemingly giving instructions to the other. With a closer look, he could've sworn that the one giving instructions smiled at him before leaving the other woman alone.

_Dude, one of the maids just hit on me. At least, I think she was a maid,_ he joked with himself to ease his nerves as he stepped into the inn. He removed his shoes and put on the slippers provided for guests before moving towards the front desk.

"… Excuse me," he said as calmly as possible, and the woman behind the desk looked up and smiled.

"Well, if it isn't the rumored boyfriend! How are you?"

"Kasai-san!" Souji blinked, unable to believe his luck. "I'm fine, I've been pretty good. How've you been?"

"I'm fine, just a little busier than usual with the amount of guests we've been having. Tell me, what brings you here? Are you going to try to fix things with Yuki-chan?"

He rested his hand on the desk as his face fell. "Yeah… She told you about it, huh?"

Kasai-san placed her hand on his. "Girls are quite fragile, even the more aggressive ones. I'm not mad at you for what you said, but please be a bit more considerate towards her."

"I really screwed up, didn't I?" he asked, slipping his hand out from under hers.

"At least you know that you did wrong," Kasai-san said with a warmer smile. "She really picked a good one, I have to say."

"I'm… Not all that good as you think…"

"Nonsense! Now, take this water bowl up to Yuki-chan." She handed him a small bowl full of ice water.

"What's this for?"

"Yuki-chan fell victim to food poisoning last night, so her mother asked me to bring this and a wet rag up to her," Kasai-san sighed. "But, since you're here, you can do that for me while I continue cleaning the recently vacated rooms."

"Wait! You can't just ask me to go up to her room! She'll hate me even more!" Souji tried to argue, but the woman was simply glowing with glee as she pushed him towards the elevator.

"She's on the third floor, second room on the left. Oh, and here—you'll need this face towel to have an actual wet rag, won't you?" She stuffed the face towel in his hand before shuffling off to tend to more rooms, leaving Souji at the elevator.

"This is not how I expected things to go," he muttered as he pressed the call button for the elevator. "But I have to admit, it's working out better than I expected."

The door let out a 'ding' before it opened, and Souji stepped in and pressed the button for the third floor. He jammed his finger repeatedly on the 'door close' button so that no one else would see him head up to Yukiko's room. _Crap, what if her parents are at her room? Okay, okay, you got this…_

The elevator shuddered as it stopped on the third floor, and Souji hid by the buttons as the door opened. He peeked around the floor, his finger lightly touching the button for the first floor in case he ran into someone he recognized (more so if Yukiko's parents were keeping watch on their only daughter). With no one in sight, he strolled up to the second room on the left and knocked softly.

"… Come in…" wafted drearily from the other side and Souji slid the door open to find Yukiko lying face-down on her futon. He took the time closing the door to look around her room, which was a fair amount larger than his own. A short table was propped up against the wall to make room for Yukiko's futon near the door. A look to the right showed him her closet, a desk, and a TV sitting on a small stand. A book shelf was standing next to the desk, but he couldn't make out what kinds of books she had displayed. The only book he could identify was the math book he had bought her for finals.

_Should I say something? A 'hi' or 'what's up?' or something?_ He tiptoed quietly to her left, where he moved a larger bowl of water out of the way so he could have room to sit. A muffled moan escaped the weary girl, startling him a bit. Souji reached into his pocket for her handkerchief and laid it on the edge of the bowl before taking a gentle yet firm hold of her shoulder to roll her onto her back.

_I've never seen her so… unkempt before,_ he marveled as he skillfully removed the blanket out from under her. _It's kinda… NO! Don't you DARE think such unclean thoughts like that! Be a true gentleman! A prince, if you have to! A prince on a white horse!_

He nearly had to bite his tongue at that last thought. _More like a gay pirate on a unicorn—who doesn't want that kind of guy? _

Carefully, he spread out her blanket on top of her. He took a quick look at her face and noticed how pale her skin was against the dark circles under her eyes.

_Wasn't she tired yesterday, too? She's gotta be seriously tired now, especially with food poisoning! She looks so peaceful, though._ He smiled at her as she slept; glad to see a serene look on her face for the first time in a long while.

_Maybe, I should talk to her later. It's like making her talk at knife point if I do this now._ He leaned back on his heels and dipped her handkerchief into the cool water, removing the excess before brushing aside her bangs and laying it over her forehead.

"… Thanks, Kasai-san…" Yukiko mumbled as she opened her eyes. The two teenagers froze when their eyes met, neither of them knowing what to do.

"Hey… How're you… feeling?" Souji asked nervously.

"Um… I'm… okay," Yukiko replied just as stiffly.

"That's… um… great," he said as he shifted his stance to sit next to her pillow. He felt something brush up against his foot and held up a simple, white bra. Yukiko's eyes widened when she realized what it was that he had in his hands.

"NO! Don't look!" she cried as she snatched it away from him. With her unmentionables safely in her hands she shoved it under her covers as far away from him as possible.

"I'm sorry! It was just there! I..." _Wait, if that was out here, then is she…?_ He felt his heart pounding in his ears at his realization and instinctively looked away.

"I-It's okay, it was… m-my fault for leaving it out like that," she said as she sat up. "So, why are you here?"

She was surprised to see him looking away from her with his hand poised to block his view of her. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"Just making sure that I don't see… you know…" Souji kept his hand firm by his head. "Are you decent?"

Yukiko looked down and saw that her yukata was more see-through than she had anticipated. She ducked back under the covers and pulled the blanket high enough to cover just below her eyes. "Th-Thanks for… not looking. Um… I'm decent now."

Souji peeked out from the side of his hand to be sure that she was fully covered before rotating fully to face her. "Right… uh… Hi," was all he could think to say. He was still overwhelmed by how close he had come to seeing more than he had bargained for.

"… H-Hi," she said back. "Um, how come you looked away? Most boys would've just stared."

"Who knows? Maybe I just have more respect for you than they do. Although, it was kind of a reflex after I found your…" He fell silent, trying to think of something other than her delicates being separated from her semi-nude figure. Yukiko quickly switched the subject.

"Um, how's Nanako-chan? She didn't get food poisoning, did she?" Souji looked back at Yukiko, who had turned her head a little towards him.

"She's fine. She made breakfast this morning and was doing laundry when I left."

"That's good to hear." The pink cloth on her stomach caught her eye and she brought a hand out from under the covers to retrieve it. "Is this my handkerchief? I thought I'd lost this a long time ago!"

"You left it at my house after Yosuke and I had that little scuffle," he explained. "I tried to return it to you a couple of times, but I would either forget or had something else to take care of."

"So, you held onto it all this time? Even after we fought?" Yukiko turned her head back to face the ceiling and replaced her handkerchief onto to her forehead.

"I carried it around in my pocket a lot… Mainly so that I could return it to you, but it sort of became a good luck charm to me."

_That's… actually pretty sweet of him. Then maybe, he really isn't as mean as he was that night…_

A sound off to her left made Yukiko turn her head, where she saw Souji bowing low to her. "Souji-kun?"

"There's something I have to tell you," he said, keeping his face parallel with the floor. "I'm… I'm actually a huge jerk."

She softened her eyes and smiled, thinking he was joking. "Souji-kun, what—"

"Wait, I'm more than a jerk! I'm actually a major asshole, and I'm sorry that I didn't tell you sooner!" The tension in his voice let Yukiko know that he wasn't joking at all. "I'm constantly making fun of the things around me and to no end! Everything, from Chie's backpack to even my own self, I crack jokes in my head, whine and moan about it all!"

Yukiko could only stare at him, shocked that she had ever fallen for someone like him. _Then, what he said over the phone… Those were his true thoughts? Did he ever make fun of me, or our friends, or…_

A sharp pain slowly formed in the pit of her stomach, and she pulled a face as it increased. Souji noticed this and stuck his hand under the covers.

"Wh-What do you think you're—"

"My mother did this once when I had a stomach ache as a kid," he said gently as he laid his hand across her stomach. "The heat from her hand would ease the pain. It has the same effects of a heating blanket or a hot water bottle, only it's not as warm."

The pain began to lessen as the warmth from his hand spread. He settled into a more comfortable sitting position that made him turn his back towards Yukiko's face, but it was most convenient since he had begun to blush. Yukiko was also grateful that he turned away, since she, too, had become rather red. "I-It's working. It doesn't hurt as much anymore."

"I'm glad it works," he said without looking back at her. Moments passed before they said anything more to one another.

"That's the first time I've heard you talk about your mother."

Souji rested his chin in his free hand. "That's probably because it's one of my few good memories of her."

_Did they really see that little of each other whenever they were away working? How sad._ Yukiko sidled a little closer to the edge of the futon so that Souji wouldn't have to reach so far.

"We don't really get to see each other very often. She and my dad were always off on business trips while I stayed home. The most time we ever spent together was whenever we had to move to a new city or when they had vacation."

"I see. And it's because of their work that you ended up staying with your uncle here in Inaba," she said with a saddened voice. "I can't imagine what that must be like, being home alone most of the time."

"It wasn't all that bad," Souji said as he closed his eyes. "I got to learn how to take care of myself, so it wasn't a complete loss."

"But, weren't you lonely?"

He opened his eyes enough that they were slits. "…No. As soon as I attended my new schools, people took to me easily. I gained popularity with little to no trouble."

"Just like what you did here—you quickly made friends with Chie and Yosuke-kun, and then me." She reached under her pillow and took the shrine charm in her hand, taking care not to remove it from its hiding place. "To tell you the truth, I used to envy the kids that would move in from the city. They would always look down at this place, and it always made me wonder if the city was all that much better than quiet, country towns like this one."

Souji felt his arm stiffen, but kept his hand where it was. "Then, you envied me, too?"

"A little, yeah. You got to see more of the world than I ever will."

"… I guess I was a little envious of you, too," he groaned a little as he straightened his back before slumping his shoulders again. "More like, I often wondered what it would be like if we just stayed in one spot—living under the same roof instead of me at home while they lived in different hotels each night."

Yukiko withdrew her hand from her pillow and brought it back under the covers. "It's kind of funny, isn't it? The way we want to try each other's lifestyles? And then we ended up falling for each other."

"Yeah… It kinda is."

"… Yeah…" She stared into his back before letting her eyes drift up to the ceiling. "Hey, Souji-kun? Why did you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Why did you protect me from that bomb?"

Souji remained silent, too nervous to give his answer. _Don't freeze up now! Tell her! The moment's right!_

"If you truly are as big of a jerk as you say you are, I don't think you would've protected me like you did," she said as she placed both her hands on top of his. "You probably wouldn't have gone searching for me when I was thrown in the TV, or helped save the others, or even be here right now, telling me about that other side of yourself. I don't know why you indulge in that side of you, but whatever the reason, I'm sure it's not the real you.

"So please tell me: why did you take that bomb for me?" She sat up and brought their hands out from under the blanket, making him turn towards her. They locked eyes, her light brown ones onto his steel-grey ones, and both could feel each other's hearts beat rapidly through their connected hands.

_Do it now, or you may never get another chance!_ Souji swallowed hard, mustering up all the courage he could just to try to dodge her question. "It's obvious, isn't it? Why I did it?"

Yukiko shook her head. "As obvious as it seems, I'm afraid I might be a little too optimistic about the answer I'm hoping for."

Souji got up on his knees and took her hands in both of his. "Yukiko-san… the reason why I did it… it's because…"

He took a deep breath, not even caring anymore how badly his hands were shaking over hers. "I did it because… I like you… a lot…"

_He actually said it!_ Warm tears began to form in her eyes as nothing but pure elation swelled within her. She took a hand away to wipe her eyes, but Souji leaned in and held her close, her cheek pressing into his shoulder.

"I was so scared… That I wasn't going to make it in time," he continued softly. "That you were gonna die before I could tell you how I truly felt. I would've regretted it the rest of my life if you left this world thinking that I hated you."

"Souji-kun…" She wrapped her arms around his back. "When I saw that bomb coming at me, the one I wanted most to save me… was you."

A smile spread on Souji's face. "Really? Even though we were mad at each other?"

"Even though I was mad at you, the one I wanted to see most was you," she whispered as she tightened her embrace. "Does that even make sense?"

"It makes perfect sense—I felt the exact same way." He released her and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Yukiko-san… Can I ask you something?"

"What is it?"

"What are your feelings towards me?"

Almost instantly, her face glowed bright red. "W-Well, I… I-Isn't it obvious how I feel?"

Souji grinned mischievously. "As obvious as it seems, I'm afraid I might be a little too optimistic in the answer I'm hoping for."

"Hey, that's not fair!"

He sat back, cross-legged on the floor. "You did it to me! How's that not fair?"

She folded her hands in her lap, her cheeks still burning brightly. "I-I guess… it really wouldn't be fair if I didn't give you an answer…"

Once again, he rested an elbow on his knee and propped his chin in his hand. "So? What's the verdict?"

Yukiko felt herself redden even more as she stared helplessly into his smiling face. She subconsciously picked up her handkerchief and started twisting it around in her hands. "… Um… To me, Souji-kun…"

Souji clasped both her hands in his. She could feel her heart racing even faster with the addition of his warm smile and gentle touch. "S-Souji-kun, I… I can't give you a definite answer right now."

The shrill ring from her cell phone made the two of them jump. Souji hung his head as he felt Yukiko slip her hands out of his to answer her phone. "H-Hello?"

"Hey, Yukiko! Feeling better?"

"Chie! Yes, I'm a lot better from last night, but not quite one hundred percent." She looked over to Souji, who had a defeated look on his face.

"Aw, that's too bad. We were supposed to hang out today, but if you're still sick, we can do it another time."

"We were? I thought we were going to hang out on Tuesday for your birthday?"

"What do you mean? Today _is_ Tuesday! August second!"

"It is? I'm sorry, Chie! I completely forgot!"

"Nah, don't worry about it! It's not your fault for getting sick. By the way, is there anything you need me to get you? I'm at Junes right now."

"You're coming over?"

"Yeah, I thought maybe everyone at the inn would be too busy to keep watch over you, so I've taken the liberty of watching you myself."

Yukiko smiled. "Thanks, Chie. I think Mother would appreciate that very much. There's nothing really that you need to bring, though."

"Okay, then I'll be over as soon as possible. See ya!"

"See you later, Chie!" Yukiko hung up and placed her phone in her lap. "Sorry about that. I'd forgotten that I had made plans with Chie."

"When was her birthday? And how come she didn't say anything about it to any of us?" Souji asked.

"July thirtieth. She said it wouldn't be fair to you, Rise-chan and Kanji-kun to feel obligated to buy her a birthday present when we've only just become friends."

"Considering how much she's had me spend in the past month, she can say that all the things she made me buy are her birthday gifts for the next decade of her life," Souji scowled as Yukiko let out a small giggle.

"She still thinks that you have a problem with buying cute girls expensive things, doesn't she?"

"Actually, that might have some truth to it."

"What do you mean? Did you buy something for Ai-san again?" Yukiko wasn't sure if she was kidding when she said this.

"No, but I did buy you that math book without letting you pay me back," he said as he rubbed his neck. "I saw it on your shelf when I first came in."

"Oh yeah, I still owe you, don't I? I have to admit, it was a surprisingly good choice on Chie's part," Yukiko smiled again.

"Huh? But, I'm the one that chose it…" His face fell when he saw that Chie had taken credit for his small effort.

"Sorry. I thought she might've been the one to choose since I asked her to get me one. It was really helpful." Yukiko looked at her phone for the time. "Chie should be on her way now, so it might be best if you leave soon."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," he said as he stood up. "By the way, I'm still waiting for your answer."

"About that… Can I give it to you another time?" She gave him a look that tugged at his heart. She could see disappointment cross his face, but they both knew that if he didn't leave soon, Chie would walk in on a scene that definitely said they were more than friends. Souji bent down low enough to whisper something.

"Don't make me wait too long, alright?"

"I'll try not to," she whispered back. He pulled away and gave a final wave before leaving her room. She heard the soft 'ding' of the elevator as it arrived to carry him down to the first floor, and already she felt the first few pangs of missing him.

_I wonder when I'll be able to tell him how I feel? I hope it won't be too long. But, even I'm not sure anymore of how I feel. I was happy when he said he liked me, so why am I holding back on how I feel about him?_ She soaked her handkerchief in the bowl of water with half-melted ice and replaced it on her forehead, lying back in her futon and fixing the blanket to cover her up to her neck. _He was so open with his feelings today, something that I never would've expected from him. I guess I don't know him as well as I thought. But, I wonder what sparked that side of him that he called a 'jerk'? _

Another pain in her stomach stabbed at her, and she curled up under her blanket, practically paralyzed from how excruciating it was. She placed both of her hands on her stomach to try to ease the pain, but her hands weren't as warm as Souji's had been.

"Owie, owie, owie!" she groaned to herself as she scrunched her body up tighter. _S-Someone! Please, help me!_ _It hurts so much!_

Minutes later, she heard the sound of her door slide open and the friendly voice of Chie following soon after.

"Hey, I'm here!" Chie said as she pulled the blanket away from Yukiko's head. "Wow, you really look as bad as your mom described!"

"That's not the sort of thing you say when your friend feels like she's dying," Yukiko groaned, still clutching her stomach.

"Aw, cheer up! I gotcha something that might help with that stomach ache," she said as she pulled out a hot water bottle. "Your mom had me bring this up for you."

Yukiko commanded her body to lie flat on her back to let Chie lay the bottle on her stomach. The heat quickly settled the pain, allowing her to relax. _That worked fast, but… I kind of prefer Souji's hand—it wasn't as hot._ "Thanks, Chie."

"Sure thing. I'm just sorry that we can't just heal you with a Diarama or something," she shrugged as she lowered herself into a cross-legged sitting position. "Even Souji-kun's burns were easier to fix than your stomach. Have a rough night?"

"After you left, it got a little better. Thanks for taking care of me when everyone else was busy with the inn," she smiled as Chie picked up the fallen handkerchief.

"That kinda sucks that no one was around to help you out, though." She placed the damp cloth on the edge of the bowl before producing the plastic bag she had brought. "By the way, I stopped by Shiroku on my way to Junes and got you some of these."

She handed Yukiko a small bottle that was big enough to fit in her palm. "It's some sort of energy drink that's supposed to make you feel better, or something. I dunno, I kinda just grabbed a bunch without really looking at it."

Just one look at the brightly-labeled bottle made Yukiko question its contents. Not wanting to trample on her friend's good will, she sat up and unscrewed the cap, downing the bitter liquid and pulling a face as she handed the bottle back to her. "Thanks, Chie. I think I'll just lie down now."

"Good idea!" she said as she popped back up on her feet to help Yukiko with the blanket. Once Yukiko was tucked in, she sat back down, her toes twitching and her fingers drumming vigorously on her knees.

"Um, Chie? Is something the matter?"

"Huh? Why d'you ask?"

"You seem… anxious about something. Did something happen?"

"Oh, no! Nothing at all!" She gave a dry laugh as she picked up Yukiko's handkerchief and set it on her friend's forehead. "Nothing's bothering me at all!"

Yukiko eyed her jittery figure, having an inkling suspicion on what was on her mind. "Chie, if you have something on your mind, please say so. We're friends, aren't we?"

"Are you sure? You won't get mad, will you?"

Yukiko sighed. "I probably don't have the energy to get angry, so you might as well take advantage of it."

Chie's eyes lit up at her easy submission. "Okay, um, here goes: AfterSouji-kunsavedyouhowdoyoufeelabouthimnow?"

"Wh-What?" Yukiko blinked a few times as she tried running Chie's string of inaudible words together.

"Oh, sorry." Chie took a deep breath to unwind before trying again. "So, about yesterday… Y'know, what happened with our culprit's shadow and all? Well, you know how you've been saying that you don't like Souji-kun?"

Yukiko raised an eyebrow. "What about?"

"I-I was just thinking… What if Souji-kun likes you?"

The words hit her like a bullet train. "D-Don't be silly! He can't possibly—"

"But he threw himself in front of a bomb for you! Any guy willing to do that for a girl must have some sort of feelings for her, right?" Chie brought her face close to her friend's, unaware of how much more uncomfortable she was making her feel. "And chances are, the girl that the guy protects ends up developing feelings for him, right? Don't you feel anything for him now?!"

With the combination of the summer humidity, the hot water bottle and her own body temperature rising from Chie's deduction, Yukiko felt herself growing light-headed. _I can't pass out now! Our secret's in danger!_ "It was nice of him to do that for me, but I've already told you that he's not my type," she replied as coolly as she could.

"Oh, don't give me that!" Chie threw her hands out in front of her. "He risked his life to save you! Doesn't that say 'I love you!' to you at all?!"

Yukiko pretended to be deep in thought as her body struggle against the heat. "I suppose so, but he still doesn't quite appeal to me. I'll just have to turn him down carefully later."

"You can't do that! You have to reward him for his noble cause! At least go on a date with him to see if you really don't like him!"

"Why do you want us to get together so badly? Didn't you like him before?" Yukiko sat up and threw the blanket off of her, the heat becoming too much to bear. She allowed the hot water bottle to remain in her lap while flapping her yukata for air circulation.

"Because… He's perfect! He's the perfect guy!" Chie was now flapping her arms wildly to get her point across. "Didn't you ask me this before?"

"I did, but I was hoping you would give me a less vague answer than 'he's perfect'." She dabbed at the sweat that was forming on her face with her handkerchief, growing dizzier as she became more and more stressed with Chie's questions. Her breathing became more ragged as fatigue began to set in. "Aside from his good looks and his abilities in school, what else makes him so perfect?"

Chie could see she was causing more harm than help to her. "Hey, you need to lie down or you won't get better," she said as she gently pushed Yukiko back onto her back. She removed the hot water bottle from her lap and brought the blanket back up to her shoulders, allowing Yukiko to rest her arms above the thick cloth. She soaked the handkerchief in the cold water and dabbed at her friend's face before setting it back on her forehead.

"… Thank you…" Yukiko whispered, taking pleasure in the coolness of the wet cloth. "So… What is it that makes Souji-kun so perfect?"

Before answering, Chie got up and moved over to the wall on Yukiko's right side, sliding down into a sitting position. "Lots of things. Not just his looks or his brains, but he's also a good cook, a great leader, and an even better friend."

"… I guess that does make him a pretty good guy, but what else?"

"Well…" Chie brought her knees up to her face and hugged them. "He's really patient, I guess. Even when I make him pay for our supplies for out trips inside the TV, or when Teddie and me got him that weird shirt, he only looked mad but just seemed to go along with whatever. At least, he never blew up in our faces over things like that."

_That's true. Wait, is that why his ends up thinking those thoughts? Is it his way of dealing with his anger?_

"Also, he's really caring. Like when Ai-san thought that he wanted to start dating her, he went to talk to her about right after school; even with his back all messed up. He's also helped me get over a few personal problems."

"What kind of personal problems?" Yukiko asked, curious as to why she hadn't come to her for help.

"Just a few things, like finding myself and stuff like that," she smiled. "Mainly stuff that requires someone unbiased, like Souji-kun, since he barely knew me at the time."

_He helped me find what I truly wanted, too, and without judging me at all._ "So, what else makes him perfect?"

"I'm sure there're lots of other things, but you should've gotten a good look at one of the main ones yesterday," Chie said with a wink. Yukiko bored her eyes into the ceiling, trying to recall what else had happened yesterday that Chie was referring to. Her mind came to a grinding halt when the image of Souji without his shirt swam before her, making her face flush.

_I honestly can't believe that I didn't appreciate him shirtless at the campout, but that was because I was more self-conscious about my own body in that two-piece that Yosuke-kun gave me!_

"How come you're so against being with Souji-kun, anyway? Is there someone else you like?" Chie leaned forward and poked lightly at the bedridden girl's cheek with a grin. "I really can't see you with anyone but him."

"Why's that?" Yukiko just laid there and let her continue to poke her.

"It's rare to see an honest guy like him, so I feel like he'd never do anything two-faced like cheat on you or anything like that. I'm still amazed how he handled that situation with Ai-san," she answered as she stared off into the distance.

_Clearly I'm the only one who knows about Souji-kun's other side, but she has a good point about him not cheating. And since the only time I've ever seen him act like a jerk was when he made that joke about our relationship, he can't really be all that bad. Does that mean he locks most of his thoughts away in his mind? _

Chie's snapping fingers in front of her face brought her back to reality. "Hey, are you still with me? Hellooo?"

"Sorry, I was just thinking too much," she said with a weak smile.

"Oh? About a certain silver-haired boy?"

Yukiko turned her face away from her friend, scared that her blush might give her away. "I was just wondering if he really is as honest as we take him to be. Like, is the Souji-kun we see in front of us the real Souji-kun, or is it just a mask he wears for unknown reasons?"

"Yukiko, have you forgotten already?"

"Forgotten… what?" She turned her head back to face Chie, who had her head cocked to the side.

"Forgotten 'what'? Don't tell me…" Chie brought her hand up to her forehead and shook her head in disbelief at her friend. "How can you forget? It's only one of the more intense learning experiences anyone's ever gonna live through!"

"I still don't know what you're getting at," Yukiko said with a frown. "Just say it already."

"Oh, geez." The girl in the green tank top plopped on the ground with crossed arms and legs, her eyebrows pulled down with a disapproving look. "How can you accuse Souji-kun of having a front when even you have another side to you?"

A blank stare was all Yukiko could respond with, making Chie pound the floor with her fist. "Come on! Our other selves! Those shadows that looked like us that tried to kill us!"

Flashes of memories from late April blazed through her mind as she recalled their encounter with her other, inner self inside the TV—a Yukiko wearing a pink, European-style dress fit for a princess that hated how everything in her life was decided for her. She was the image of a caged bird who desired nothing more than to be whisked away by a handsome prince to some far-off land where she could have the freedom to decide her life for herself.

_How could I forget? We all had our other selves to face, and here I am accusing Souji-kun of not being truthful to me! How could I do that to the one person who helped me through my problems without judging me for being selfish? Especially since all his other self did was say something unnecessary while mine tried to kill us!_ "Chie, you're right. I'm sorry," she said, regretting her reproachful words from earlier.

"I think Souji-kun's the one you should be apologizing to, not me," Chie said with a softened expression. "I can't believe you completely forgot about what we've been dealing with these past few months."

"I can't believe it, either. I'm the worst…" Yukiko flipped herself onto her side, curling up not because her stomach was hurting, but because of the remorse that was taking the place of her exhaustion. The handkerchief slid off her forehead when she shifted into her new position, causing Chie to get up and place it back in the bowl.

"You're not the worst, Yukiko," she reassured her with a gentle pat on her shoulder. "You're probably just too tired to think about stuff right now. I'm sure after you get some sleep, you'll feel better and have a clearer mind about things."

"Thanks, but what will you do while I'm asleep?" Yukiko's voice was slightly muffled by the blanket that was bunched up in front of her mouth.

"Don't worry about me—you're the one that's sick, remember?"

"Okay… Thanks, Chie…" Chie watched as her friend quickly drifted off to sleep before resuming her seat next to the wall.

"Man, even when she's out of it I still can't convince her to go out with Souji-kun," she grumbled. "Maybe she really doesn't have any feelings for him. But, if that's the case, then how come she covered him with her sweater yesterday?"

--

_I wonder if telling her that I was an asshole was the right thing._

Souji was moseying around the shopping district after a near run-in with Chie in front of the inn. She was on her way up the hill while he was just exiting, causing him to dart back inside and hide behind the front desk until she had passed. Now he was passing Daidara's Metalworks, his day empty and his mind full.

_She couldn't give me an answer on her feelings… Does that mean she doesn't like me anymore? Is it because I'm an ass? Am I being so melodramatic that she's just pushing me away? Someone, give me a sign!_

He stood still, waiting for something, anything to happen to let him know how she felt. When nothing happened, he shoved his hands in his pockets and continued up the hill to the northern area of the shopping district. _Of course nothing's gonna happen. That stuff only happens in movies, mangas and video games._

"Senpai!"

Souji looked up and saw Rise waving at him, her orange top fluttering over white Capri pants. Her high-set pigtails bounced almost as giddily as she felt as she ran up to him.

"Hey, Rise-chan. No work today?" Souji put on his best smile to mask his worry.

"It's a slow day, so Grandma gave me the day off," she said happily. "Are you busy today? You wanna grab something to eat with me?"

_I would, but I've only just recently filed for bankruptcy. _"I'm not really busy, but I'm not all that hungry either," he told her so she wouldn't feel bad about him being poor.

"Don't be silly, Senpai! I'll pay for you!" she giggled as she dragged him up the hill towards Souzai Daigaku. "Chie-senpai said there's some really good steak croquettes or something that I had to try!"

"Really, I'm not hungry, Rise-chan," he tried to reason with her. "You don't have to buy me anything."

When they reached the counter, Rise let go of his arm and turned back to face him. "Are you sure? Then, can you at least sit and talk with me a bit?"

Her eyes told him that she really craved his company, and he took a seat as she ordered some food. She munched happily in between their conversation and was thoroughly satisfied with Chie's recommendation.

"I can't take another bite," she groaned as she patted her stomach. "My stomach's full…"

_Looks like Chie-chan found another supporter for the store. I wonder if they give her discounts for finding customers._

Rise grinned, despite being in a bit of pain from being so full. "But that really hit the spot! I've been wanting to come here. But, it's a little embarrassing to show up alone, you know?"

"Yeah, it kinda is," Souji agreed. "But, why not just order takeout?"

"How little you know, Senpai!" Rise said with a proud tone. "It's the atmosphere that's important. The meal itself isn't everything, you know."

Souji sighed. "When you put it that way, it makes me feel like I should take Nanako-chan out to lunch more."

"You really should, Senpai. That poor girl is always home alone with nothing but chores to do!" Rise got up and looked around the small restaurant, taking in the atmosphere that she so proudly spoke of. "It's not like she's forced to stay home and slave over housework, is it? You're supposed to be her Big Bro, so treat her to outings once in awhile!"

Her face fell a little, and Souji could feel a slight sadness in her words. "You're really worried about Nanako-chan, huh?"

"Of course!" she cried. "Nanako-chan's still a kid and should be enjoying her childhood as much as possible!"

With a nod, Souji stood up from the table. "You're right. And since we caught our culprit, I'll have more time to take her out more often."

"And we can all play together all summer long!" Rise added, excitement building in her voice. As quickly as her excitement came, she soon had a cheerless smile on her face as she dropped her head a little. "I'm glad, because Nanako-chan really should be able to enjoy being a normal kid."

"You really believe that, don't you?" Souji asked, wondering why she was pushing for his cousin.

"Yeah. To tell you the truth, I've wanted to do this since I was a child," she said as she swept her eyes towards Souji. "My parents were actually pretty strict. I didn't really have many friends."

Rise took a few steps towards Souji but kept her face low. "Though I guess it couldn't be helped, since I hardly ever showed up for school."

_Nanako-chan doesn't really have friends either, does she? No wonder these two got along so well._ Souji was intrigued by the trust that Rise must have in him, especially since they've only met less than a month ago and she already had begun to divulge personal things about herself. Rise, however, seemed to notice this and made to change the topic.

"Er, that's enough talk about that! What a depressing subject, huh?" she said rapidly with a more natural smile. "Let's talk about something fun! After all, I don't want to waste the time we have together!"

She came up close to him, almost pressing herself against his side. "It's so great that I came to this town and met you," she said, taking care not to completely pop Souji's bubble of personal space.

_Too close! Was yesterday's nap time not enough for you?_ He gave her an odd look, and Rise assumed that he didn't believe what she had just said.

"Really! I'm serious!" she stressed out, still smiling. Souji felt a warmth within him, sensing that his bond with the Lovers arcana had increased another level. His mood was soon raised from somewhat gloomy to fairly good and he willingly adhered to her suggestion of talking about something fun.

"Sooo, why don't I start by asking what kind of girl you like?" she asked mischievously, and Souji knew he was in trouble.

"Why so curious about something petty like that?" he asked, his face as stoic as ever while panicking on the inside. _My response would've been a cute girl that can kick ass when severely pissed. Wait, that sounds like I'm describing Chie-chan! Abort! Abort!_

"You'll be surprised on the things you can learn about a guy when you find out the type of girl he likes," she grinned. Souji started walking down the hill towards the flood plain, not wanting to be spotted by anyone too familiar.

"Oh, I see. Then how about you, Rise-chan? What type of guy are you interested in?"

"Hey, don't throw the question back at me! But I guess I can go first," she said as she brought a finger up to her chin. "Let's see… I like the kind of guy who doesn't get mad easily. He's mostly quiet but even though he doesn't say much, you can really trust him to be there for you."

_Huh, that doesn't sound like me at all. _He thought sarcastically to himself. "Is that really the type you go for?"

Rise tilted her head up at him. "Yeah, why?"

"Well, yesterday you were being kinda sweet on Yosuke, so I thought that the description you made just now didn't really fit him."

She dug her heels in the ground and grabbed Souji's arm to stop him from walking any further. "Hold on! I wasn't interested in him or anything! I was just trying to help him feel better after what happened yesterday! You saw how sad he was after we caught that Kubo guy!"

"You'd better be careful when you do things like that. He's quite fond of you," Souji warned.

"He's fond of me, or Risette?" she asked with a soft voice. She grasped Souji's sleeve tightly, making him wonder if he said something he shouldn't have.

"I'm sure he's fond of the real you, too. Maybe the Risette side of you made him interested, and then actually meeting and getting to know the real you got him even more interested since he gets to see a side of you that not many others get to see," Souji explained. He watched as she took in his explanation, her grip on his shirt slackening.

"I see. Then why tell me to be careful when I'm nice to him?" Her worried look melted into a more cheerful one. "Are you jealous that you might lose me to him?"

_Look at the mess I stepped in,_ he thought as he began walking again. "Not at all. I was more worried that, since he isn't the one in your description, he might take your kindness for something more."

Rise released his shirt so they could walk side-by-side more easily. "You don't need to worry at all, Senpai! I'll be nice to Yosuke-senpai, but nowhere near as nice as you were yesterday."

"You mean letting you guys come over to have that cooking battle? That was really nothing, so—"

"Not that! I meant what you did for Yukiko-senpai!"

It was Souji's turn to stop dead in his tracks. _That sure is a popular topic nowadays…_

Rise walked around him to face him properly. "Senpai, what made you throw yourself in front of her like that? It was really… romantic of you."

"As romantic as it looked, there's no hidden meaning to it," he said calmly. "You saw how near death we all were. An attack like that could've killed her."

"It's because you were near death that it made me wonder more why you did it," she replied, pulling her hands behind her back as she leaned forward with her head tilted upward at him. "You could've died saving Yukiko-senpai. How can I just let that go as something with no deeper meaning?"

She spun around and started walking away from him, her hands still clasped behind her back. "Come to think of it, Yukiko-senpai was nice enough to leave her sweater for you, too."

"Is it so bad to worry about a friend?"

"Of course not." She whirled back around to face him. "Why do you ask?"

"Yesterday, when that beetle picked you up with its horn and threw you in the air, I was worried then, too," he told her. "I felt bad that I wasn't fast enough to protect you."

"You were worried about me, too?"

"Of course! Every time we go inside the TV, I'm always worried that something'll happen that I can't undo!"

Rise looked away from him, tapping her toe behind her while Souji kept his eyes fixated on her.

"… He really does care. Maybe he _is_ the perfect guy…" Rise whispered to herself as she swiveled her ankle in a circle.

"What'd you say?" Souji asked while he strained his ear.

"N-Nothing!" She bounded up to him and latched onto his arm. "So, does that mean if I were the one the bomb was flying at, you'd protect me, too?"

They resumed their walk, Souji becoming slightly uncomfortable, not just from Rise suddenly grabbing onto him, but also because of her questions. "Well, yeah. And I'd do the same for Chie-chan, Yosuke, Kanji-kun, and Teddie, too."

"Well, that makes it a lot less romantic," she said with a disappointed sigh. "It's good to see that you care about us, but if you ever save a girl you like, make sure to tell her that you did it because you like her, okay?"

Souji shoved his hands in his pockets to avoid the high possibility of Rise wanting to hold his hand. "Yeah, I'll do that." _Already one step ahead of you and she was pretty happy about it._

Rise snuggled closer to his arm, close enough that she was pressing her cheek onto his shoulder. The humidity was already making him feel sticky and unclean, but having Rise cling so closely made the heat worse than before.

_It's so different from when it was Yukiko-san that held onto me,_ he thought as he remembered the first time they admit their feelings to each other. _I didn't care how hot it was, or how close we were at the time. I just wanted to be near her. But with Rise-chan, it's different. I actually notice how hot it is. Um… isn't she disgusted by how much I'm sweating? How can she cling to me like that? Oh wait, she has a crush on me, so that means that my arm is her happy place. Bloody fantastic._

He gazed down at her thick, wavy, brown hair, secretly wishing that it was Yukiko's long, straight, black hair that was at his shoulder instead. _She said she missed me, too, so why was she reluctant to tell me her feelings? C'mon, just give me a sign that there's still hope for us!_

A blinding white light flooded his vision, making him stop his walk. He brought a hand up to his eyes but found that nothing could block the light. Amid the white light, the Priestess card appeared and rotated back to the upright position.

_This is just like that time when we fought,_ Souji thought as the light slowly faded. _Only, there's no pain. _Instead, he felt a soothing heat move throughout his body all the way to the tips of his toes and fingers. His hand remained by his eyes until the light had completely left, the world around him returning including the feeling of Rise shaking his shoulder while asking him what was wrong.

"Senpai, you okay? You kinda just spaced out just now," she said with a worried look. Souji looked to her and lowered his hand.

"I'm fine, Rise-chan," he answered. "It's nothing; I just got caught up with a thought, is all."

She held onto his arm tighter. "Are you sure? It looked more like you—"

Heavy footsteps behind them made them turn around, where they found Kanji running up to them. He was panting while sweat beads formed on his forehead, but he wiped it away with his bare arm.

_It's no wonder you're sweating that much with all that black on._ Souji eyed the black tank top with the flaming skull before staring at the tight, black jeans he wore. _Must be for the sake of being fabulous…_

"Hey, Kanji, what's up?" Rise looked a little miffed that her time with Souji had been cut short, but figured that there might be a reason why he had been running.

"Yer gramma… said she needs… help at… the shop…" he panted.

"She made you run all this way to do that? How come she didn't call my cell?"

"She couldn't reach ya. Your phone's off or somethin'," he said with a more controlled breath. Rise pulled her phone out of her pocket and found that it was, indeed, off.

"Oh no! Grandma! Sorry, Senpai, but I gotta go!" she said quickly before running off towards the shopping district. "Thanks again for today!"

Souji waved, feeling a bit on the lazy side to yell. _At least she's not on my arm anymore._

"Um, Senpai?"

He turned back to see Kanji rubbing the back of his head, seemingly bothered by something. "What is it?"

"I-I was just… y'know… I didn' interrupt anythin', did I?" he asked sheepishly.

Souji felt the tiny hairs on the back of his neck stand straight up. "No, of course not! We were just talking, and you know how Rise-chan is…" he tried to explain.

"Oh, right. Cuz I was thinkin' that you an' Yukiko-senpai were… Y'know? An' then seein' you with—"

"What makes you think that Yukiko-san and I are together?" Souji asked a little more angrily than he intended, mostly because he already knew the answer and wanted people to leave him alone about it.

"Y'mean you're not? Then, what was up with yesterday, when you—"

"She's just a friend!" Souji said firmly, his irritation level on the rise. "If I recall, you picked Yukiko-san up when she was injured, correct? Can I assume that you and her are together?"

"N-No! She needed help, so I—"

"Then it's the same for me when I helped her out," he said more calmly. Kanji looked like he regretted bothering Souji, making the older teen feel guilty. "Look, I'm sorry I got mad, it's just that everyone's been asking about that lately. You didn't deserve that at all."

"I-It's cool. Sorry for askin'," Kanji said woefully, still bearing the look of someone that was caught doing something wrong. Souji sighed and patted the big teen's muscular arm.

"C'mon, I'll treat you to whatever you wanna eat," he told his junior as he started walking. _But pick someplace cheap! Anywhere but Ju—_

"Can we grab a couple o' steaks at Junes?" Kanji asked, apparently forgetting that it was he who had pointed out yesterday how empty Souji's wallet was.

_Mother f—No, no, you offered to treat him wherever he wanted, so be nice. He's not draining your funds as bad as Chie-chan._ "Okay, grilled steak it is," Souji announced, deciding that he would definitely work at one of his part-time jobs later that night.

--

Kanji let out a burp as he pushed his second empty plate away from him. Souji had to endure watching the boy eat two steaks, making him shell out the last of his money. Even though he didn't eat anything for himself, he barely had enough to cover two steaks and a soda, and nearly burst out in tears and a fit of rage when Kanji had asked for a refill.

"Senpai, you're pretty awesome," Kanji groaned as he leaned back in his chair and patted his slightly bulging stomach.

_I know. My awesomeness should be common knowledge by now!_ "I'm glad you enjoyed the meal, but I have something I have to do right now," Souji said as he got up from his chair.

"Huh? Whatcha gotta do that's so important?" Kanji asked as he followed Souji with his eyes.

"It's nothing. Just gotta go home and check up on Nanako-chan, make dinner, stuff like that." _And then head for a tutoring session with my favorite little money maker, but you don't need to know that._ Souji turned to the elevator and started to leave.

"'Kay. Hey, Senpai?"

The irritated boy spun around, flashing a rather forced-looking smile. "Yes?"

"If anyone else asks about you n' Yukiko-senpai, just tell 'em to 'get bent' or else I'll pound their asses into the ground," Kanji said, oddly enough with a sweet grin. Souji's twisted smile turned into a real one at his kindness.

"Thanks, Kanji-kun. I'll hold you to that," he said as he turned and left. _I wonder if his offer works on Chie-chan. She and Teddie are the only ones that haven't asked me yet, so just to be sure, I'll try to avoid both of them for awhile._ On the way back home, Souji started arguing with himself whether Kanji would win in a fight against Chie or not, eventually figuring that Kanji would feel too ashamed to even lay a finger on her. The sun had begun to set once he reached the house and he popped inside long enough to tell his little cousin that he was off to work.

"Don't stay out too late," Nanako advised as she brandished a finger at him.

"I won't. Oh hey—did you have dinner yet?"

The young girl got up from the short table and moved towards the pantry to pull out a bowl of instant noodles. "I'm just waiting for the water to boil right now."

_Once again, Little Child must eat cheap, unhealthy noodles to survive._ "Sorry. If I had some money, we could've gotten some groceries and made something for dinner."

"It's okay, Big Bro," she said as she brought the plastic bowl over to the short table and sat down. "That's why you're going to work, right?"

Souji nodded. "Yeah, that's right."

"But, how come you're so poor? Didn't you have a lot of money before? Where did it all go?" Nanako's hands flew up to her mouth when it hit her. "Did you spend it all on a girl? Was it the one you visited today?"

"Nanako-chan, not you, too!" Souji went over and knelt next to her, placing his hand on her head. "No, it wasn't on the friend that I visited today. I just haven't been able to work any part-time jobs lately, so I ran low on cash, that's all." _Although, you're right about me spending it all on a girl… plus another girl… plus a fabulous person… and lastly myself by buying my life back and getting that purple shirt._

"Hmm… I thought Big Sis Chie and Big Sis Yukiko were supposed to help you with your spending problem," Nanako said without bothering to remove Souji's hand.

_Help me? Chie-chan's the cause of my money issues and Kanji-kun's starting to hop on that train!_ "Big Sis Yukiko has work to do at the inn, so she can't really help me right now. As for Big Sis Chie, well, she can't be with me all the time," he tried to explain.

"Then how can you be careful if no one's watching you?" Nanako was become quite upset with her cousin. "Why can't Big Bro Yosuke or Teddie watch you? Or even Rise-chan, or Papa Kanji?"

_Right, I didn't fix that 'Papa Kanji' thing yet. Meh, Kanji-kun'll find it cute, right?_ "Nanako-chan, for my sake, they're keeping it a secret from the others so that I don't look bad in front of everyone. That's why not everyone's helping me." _That's mostly true, except for how many people are actually 'helping' me._

As Nanako fell deep in thought, the water boiler beeped to indicate that the water was done boiling. Souji got up and grabbed the boiler for her, afraid that she might accidentally burn herself.

"Big Bro? I really like your friends," she finally said while Souji poured hot water into the bowl of uncooked ramen. "They're really nice, and they care about you."

"They like you, too, Nanako-chan," he told her as he set the water boiler down. "In fact, Big Sis Yukiko was worried that you might've gotten food poisoning like she did."

The small girl's eyes widened as big as they would go. "She got food poisoning? Is she the friend that you went to visit?"

_How convenient. I now have a reason why I visited her._ "Yes, she's the friend I visited this morning," he said without changing his cool expression.

"Is she okay?"

"She's fine. She just needs plenty of rest for now." He replaced the water boiler back in the kitchen before heading for the door. "Nanako-chan, I gotta get to work, so could you lock the door for me, please?"

"Sure!" She got up and ran to the door. "Have fun at work!"

"I will," he said as he left. _Oh ho ho, indeed I will…_

--

Souji arrived at the Nakajima household as the last bits of sun disappeared. He now stood over Shu's shoulder, watching the boy's work carefully as he worked each problem out.

_At least he's quieter this time around,_ Souji thought as Shu's pencil scratched rapidly across the paper. _Gotta admit, he's pretty smart… for a dick._

A few minutes before their session was over, their attention was shifted to a knock at Shu's bedroom door. His mother walked in with a tray full of slices of cake.

"I thought you two could use a snack," she said cheerfully as she set the tray down on the short table. "Please, have some, Souji-kun."

"Thank you," he said graciously as he took a seat at the short table. Shu's mother handed him a piece before giving one to her son, then proceeded to sit across the table from Souji.

_This stuff's pretty good! I guess there's more perks than a just a high pay for teaching this kid._ Souji made sure to savor each bite of cake before taking another loaded fork into his mouth.

"Isn't this cheesecake delicious?" Nakajima-san asked as she herself savored the taste. "I bought it from an online shop that's all the rage these days. It's been the top-ranked store for fifteen weeks straight."

She twisted around to gaze upon her son, who remained at the desk behind her. "Just like Shu-chan! First place in everything!" she said proudly.

"… Stop it!" Shu whined in his nasal voice.

"But you're my pride and joy…" she continued to coo at him. She turned back to face Souji. "So, Souji-kun, about Shu… Do you think he could make it into Tokyo University?"

_If he gives up all things that would give him a life, yes. However, he will never find a decent girl, get married, or find a job if he doesn't change his pompous attitude or never has a life. _Souji mentally sighed at his own attempt of trying to tone down the vulgarity of his thoughts.

"I don't want him to ever have any hardship," she continued. "Once he's in a good college, he's 'set,' right?"

Nakajima-san kept smiling, making Souji wonder if she read his mind and was forcing herself to smile like that. "Everyone has a natural talent. Shu-chan's just happens to be how smart he is! I just want him to go to a good college so he can get a good job, then buy a good house and find a good—"

"Mom!" Shu cried out, embarrassment plain on his face.

_Screw it. What I meant to say was—he'll never get laid. Your bloodline ends with this boy, because of how lame he is. There, that sounds more realistic._

Souji looked up and saw that Shu had turned his face away from his mother. "Don't you worry about me, Mom. I'm always on top. I am right now, and I always will be."

_You obviously didn't hear what I thought earlier. Maybe it's better that you don't know your horrible fate. _

"That's right! He really is the perfect child…" Shu sat unblinkingly as he listened to his mother shower him with more praise. Souji just watched him out of the corner of his eye, only half-listening to his mother ramble on.

_Be happy, kid, she likes you. A lot. And she brought us cake. _As he sat there watching, Souji became more curious about why the boy seemed so depressed. _Hey, what's the matter with you? Do you hate your mom or something? Is it that bad to have your mom think so highly of you? _

"I'm sorry; I'll leave you two to your studying!" she said quickly while taking up the empty plates onto the tray. "Keep up the good work, Shu-chan!"

When the door closed behind her, Shu remained frozen in the chair. Souji propped an elbow on the table and sighed while placing his head in his hand. "That was some pretty good cake, huh? That was nice of your mom to bring us some."

When he failed to elicit a response from Shu, Souji just sat there quietly and tapped a finger on the table. _Yeesh, what's eating you? Sure, it must be annoying as hell to have your mom fawn over you like that, but it's better than being neglected._

"… If I get into a good college… Am I really 'set'?" Shu suddenly asked softly. His question nearly caught Souji off-guard, but he make fast work of processing the question.

_Getting into a good college means nothing unless you do well._ "I don't think so," he said simply. The young boy looked up at him.

"… How would you know? You're not even in college yet!" he argued with a raised voice.

_And you haven't hit puberty yet! Why the hell do you even ask if you're just gonna be a dick about my answer?!_ Souji kept his head in his hand but clenched his other hand into a fist to drain his anger out quietly. He felt himself return to his calm state when Shu opened his mouth again.

"I don't really need to be 'set' just yet," he said without looking at his tutor. "I don't really know what that's supposed to mean, anyway."

He swiveled around in his chair so that he was facing his desk again. "… Well, I need to study. There's no point in asking about college unless I'm really smart."

The sound of pencil on paper cut through the silence as he began working on another math problem. As suddenly as it began, it stopped. "Raison d'etre," Shu muttered loud enough for Souji to hear. "… Do you know what that means?"

"Sure I do." _Raison… huh? For that reason? Am I even right?_

"… I'm surprised." Shu turned away from his desk to look back at Souji. "Well, it makes sense, since you're three grades above me."

_Good thing he didn't ask me to define it. Unless, he himself doesn't know, either! Hah, I can see right through you!_ "Why do you ask?" Souji heard himself say.

"… It's irrelevant," was all Shu replied with. He leaned forward in his chair with his elbows on his knees. "I only have Mom, and the guys at school are all kids…"

A familiar warmth formed in Souji's chest, and he knew that his bond with the Tower arcana had grown stronger. _I guess you could say we had some boy bonding time. Ew, how creepy did that sound just now?_

"Huh… Time's already up," the young teen said as he looked at the clock on the wall. "We were still in the middle of that last question…"

_Opportunity for extra cash!_ "I'll stay and help you," Souji offered, still beating himself up over his mental slip up.

"I don't think you'll get paid overtime if you work after our time is up."

_Dammit! Then I'll just consider the cheesecake as a bonus!_

"… But thank you for offering to do that for me," Shu said with the first smile he had given all evening. With his new change in attitude, Souji readily agreed to help out; staying an extra twenty minutes to make sure he understood everything. By the time he left the house, it was already well into the night.

_I hope Uncle's still at work,_ Souji thought as he patted his wallet, which was now full of money again. _He might have me stay up all night to question my whereabouts._

The night air was muggy, and not at all refreshing against his skin. The Nakajima residence had been perfectly air conditioned, making Souji wish that the Dojima home had been as well-equipped as the upper class house.

_It's not as fancy, or as well-equipped_ _like the Nakajimas', but it's cozy._ Souji rounded a final corner and made it to the front door of the house. He checked for Dojima's car and when he saw that his uncle wasn't home yet, he quickly went inside. The darkened interior let Souji know that Nanako was already in bed sound asleep.

_Hm, locked doors, lights and TV off—good job, Nanako-chan. You truly are the most responsible six-year-old I know._ Souji crept through the darkness as quietly as possible, not wanting to wake his little cousin. He navigated his way through the darkness down the hall to the bathroom, where he prepared the tub while he undressed.

"Darn you, summer," he muttered as he shut the faucet off. "You're the only season where a guy can't get away with not showering for a few days."

With the tub full of heated water, Souji took a seat on the small stool and filled the bucket before him with cold water, wanting some instant relief from the day's heat. He took a deep breath and dumped the water on himself, shocking his body with the sudden chill. For Nanako's sake, he kept himself from yelling out.

_Next time, mix a little bit of hot water into the cold,_ he advised himself as he picked up the soap. When he had finished washing every bit of himself, he seated himself inside the tub.

"Perfect way to end a somewhat good day," he groaned with a stretch. "It would've been a better day if Chie-chan hadn't kept Yukiko-san from giving me her answer. Not to mention getting asked repeatedly about why I helped her inside the TV."

A sigh escaped him as he became more relaxed. "I wonder what Yukiko-san's answer's gonna be. Maybe I'll find out tomorrow! She said she wouldn't make me wait too long!"

--

Over the next week-and-a-half, Souji didn't get in any contact whatsoever with Yukiko. He spent every single day splitting his time between work, homework and friends, waiting for the day that he would get his answer from her. On Saturday night, August thirteenth, he stayed home from work to have dinner with his family and Dojima's partner, Adachi, to celebrate the capture of the murderer. The following Sunday, Souji awoke to the sound of his cell phone ringing.

"Hello?" he said sleepily into his phone.

"Hey! It's me, Chie!"

_How can she be so energetic when it's already this hot?_ _She's probably somewhere with air conditioning, or something. _"Hey, Chie-chan. What's up?"

"I ran into Yosuke at Junes," she told him. "He said he was really in a bind because he didn't have enough employees working at Junes."

_Ah hah! So you WERE at someplace air conditioned! _Souji sat up in his futon and scratched his stomach while Chie continued to tell him more details.

"He's probably going to come to you and beg for you to rescue him. He'll be all, 'You've gotta save me from this chaos, Seta!'"

Souji laughed at Chie's impersonation. "Don't tell me he recruited you already?"

"I feel kinda sorry for him, so I'm gonna help him out this week," she said in a pitiful tone. But with a more happy voice, she said, "You're welcome too, Souji-kun!"

The line clicked as soon as she finished, and Souji was left to debate with himself whether he should help out or not.

_Last time I helped him out, he just ordered me around while he yelled at customers to buy their imported cheese. … It better be worth the cash, because that hospital doesn't pay enough when you've got a sex freak nurse chasing your sexy ass around. It sucks because she's the Devil arcana and I actually have to befriend her. Dammit._

He got changed and left the house, falling into another debate on whether he should choose friends over money for that day. As it was Sunday, he was tempted to work at the daycare, especially since they had given him a pay raise for handling the children so well. On the other hand, if he was going to end up working at Junes all week, then maybe he should hang out with someone for the day.

_Screw it. I want me a Topsicle._ He veered off his course towards the bus stop into Shiroku Store and bought himself a frozen treat. On his way out of the store, he ran into Chie.

"Oh hey! Haven't seen you in awhile!" Chie grinned when she saw him. Souji just stood there sucking on his Topsicle. "So, what've you been up to?"

"Nothing much, just hanging out with some friends and doing homework," he replied, biting off a piece of his treat.

"Ugh, homework? It's still the first half of summer!" The two started up the hill towards the northern part of the shopping district. "How can you start your homework so soon?"

_Because I started doing homework on the nights that I don't have any jobs that pay well. Oh, right, I can't tell you that because you're gonna make me buy you stuff again._ "Gotta start it sometime, right? Besides, I got bored with nothing much to do."

"Is it really possible for a high school student to become so bored that they'd do homework just to have something to do?" Chie sighed in disgust at how Souji's mind worked. "If you were so bored, why didn't you go visit Yukiko or something?"

"What for? She's got work to do at the inn, and I'd only be a hindrance," he reasoned as he finished off his Topsicle and threw away the stick. "And why Yukiko-san specifically?"

"You didn't hear? Yukiko got sick from food poisoning after the cooking contest!" Chie poked her finger hard into his chest. "How did you not hear about it? She was practically dying last week!"

Souji eyed her threatening finger. "Um, my condolences? I don't exactly keep tabs on all my friends every minute of the day."

She thinned her lips at his excuse. "Maybe not all your friends, but this is Yukiko we're talking about! Doesn't she mean anything to you?"

"Like, a friend? Yeah, so?"

"Man, you two are so dense… So perfect for each other…" Chie pulled away from him. "Souji-kun, I know how much she means to you, so stop pretending that you don't like her."

_Oh shit! How'd she find out? Did Yukiko-san say anything?_ "Chie-chan, I don't know what—"

She shook her head at him. "Stop trying to hide it, Souji-kun. It's so obvious why you protected her from that bomb!"

A smiled spread across Souji's face as he reached into his pocket and quietly flicked it open, dialing a number. "Then please, do tell me the reason why I protected her, other than her being a good friend."

"Don't play dumb! You obviously like her!"

He tilted his head to the side. "Really? Y'know, if you accused any guy of liking someone, they'd most likely tell you to, 'get bent' or something or other, but don't get me wrong—Yukiko-san's a friend, just like you and Rise-chan. Same goes for Yosuke, Teddie and Kanji-kun."

"You can't be serious," she said with exasperation. "Come on, fess up! You like her even though she doesn't like you back!"

The sensation of a thousand swords stabbing into his body sent shockwaves to his very core. _Is that true? She doesn't like me? Is that why she hasn't given me her answer? Was she afraid that after my confession she'd hurt me before I could run away from the inn? _"Chie-chan, if you weren't injured as badly as you were at the time, wouldn't you've tried to do what you could to protect Yukiko-san?"

"Of course! She's my best friend! What kind of question is that?" Chie began to have a most unpleasant look on her face, knowing that she was right and he was only making up excuses to throw her off. Her arms folded across her chest in irritation.

"So, how would you feel if people questioned your friendship with her?"

It was her turn to look confused. "What do you mean? We're just friends."

Souji raised an eyebrow at her. "Are you sure? Yukiko-san is known for turning down any guy that asks her out, and you two are often seen together. From an outsider's perspective, it would seem like you two are da—"

"Hold it right there, punk!" The two swiveled their heads around to see an enraged Kanji dashing up to them. "Quit messin' with Senpai or get bent!"

He quickly calmed down when his gaze fell on Chie. "Oh, Chie-senpai. You're not some punk screwin' with Souji-senpai."

"Hell no! Why'd you think I'm some punk?! Do I _look_ like some random punk on the street?!"

Despite their height difference, Chie leered at him while he backed away. "N-No! It's nothin' like that, Chie-senpai! It's just that, it sounded like some punk was pissin' off Sen—"

"So I sound like a punk, huh?!" She puffed her cheeks in anger.

"No! I mean, when I saw you guys, it looked like some guy was pullin' shi—"

"I'm a GUY now?! Kanji-kun, you… you…!"

Before she could say anything, Kanji turned and bolted out of the shopping district with Chie in hot pursuit. Souji just stood with his hand in his pocket, snapping his phone shut and headed in the opposite direction down the hill.

_Thanks, Mr. Fabulous, for keeping to your word. We have now established the Kanji Signal. Nah, the Fabulous Call? Ooh, the Kanji Call! … Fabulous Signal? We'll work on the name later._

The sounds of his two friends screaming echoed down the hill, making him wonder if today's service would cover Kanji's meal from yesterday. He did feel a little guilty for using his friends in such a way, but…

_Chie-chan didn't have to pry into my business like that. But now it's killing me that there's a possibility that Yukiko-san doesn't like me! That hurts, Chie-chan, but if you're right, I can't really do anything about it._

He passed by the bookstore, his eyes playing along the various posters in the windows on the newest books that had just come in.

_I wonder if I can just buy a good book and read it at Junes? Nice, quiet activity in an air conditioned building. That sounds so good right… _

The door to the bookstore opened and to his surprise, Yukiko walked out. When she saw him, she did a double-take to make sure she saw what she thought she saw. They stared at each other for a few moments before saying anything.

"… Hey…" was all Yukiko could say. Her voice was so soft that it was almost as if the wind had carried it off.

"Hey," Souji returned with a quick sweep of his eyes up and down her thin figure. "You look… _good_."

She wore the simple black top and white skirt he had liked a few weeks back but didn't get to compliment it until now. Her red headband gave the outfit the light touch of color it needed, making it all the more appealing to him. "Thank you. I've had plenty of rest, so I got over my illness pretty quickly."

Her smile was too much for him to take—it had been too long since she smiled at him like that. _Wasn't really referring to your health, but that works, too. _"That's good," he said, giving her his own smile. "How's the inn? It must be a lot tougher now with vacation and all."

"Yeah, I've been pretty busy lately, but I finally got the day off," she replied, holding her hands behind her back. "How about you? Are you busy right now?"

"I've got nothing planned. You have something in mind?"

Yukiko looked away bashfully. "O-Okay. Thank goodness…Actually, I'd like to talk to you… in private."

_Hm, where to go for a private talk…_ "Shall we go to the Tatsuhime Shrine? Hardly anyone goes there anymore," he suggested.

"We could do that," she agreed. They were about to walk to the shrine when a screaming blur of green and black ran by, attracting attention wherever it went.

"That's gonna be distracting," Souji grumbled as they watched the blur pass by. "Where else can we talk where no one'll question us?"

Yukiko fidgeted next to him. "Um, if it's okay with you…"

Souji's eyes flew back to her. "What is it?"

She now rubbed her arm uncomfortably. "I-I want to go to… your room…"

Her head down, Yukiko looked up at him by shifting her eyes upward as her cheeks burned red. Souji could feel the rest of the world fading from sight as all his focus zeroed in on her words.

_Did I hear her correctly? She wants to go to my room?_ "Y-Yeah. We could go there," he told her as he rubbed the back of his head. He subdued the urge to hold her hand, partially because they were in public and partially because of Chie's words only minutes before. When they left the shopping district, the screaming black and green blur was still zooming around the area.

_Okay, Souji, she just wants to talk,_ he reminded himself on the way to his house. _You don't even know if it's a good thing, or if she's gonna reject you in the privacy of your own room so you can cry right after. Don't pull anything that you know you'll regret later, and everything will be just fine._

At his front door, Souji fumbled with the keys due to his fingers suddenly refusing to work properly. He finally got the door to open and found the living room completely vacant. The TV was off and the curtain was pulled over the back door. There were no signs that his little cousin was at home.

"I guess Nanako-chan went to play with some friends," Souji said as he allowed Yukiko to walk in first. "We lucked out going here for a quiet place to talk."

"Y-Yeah. It's probably better if she's not here," she told him with pink-tinted cheeks and a nervous smile.

_Is she implying something? Damn it, I can't figure her out!_ "Here, my room's this way." Souji directed her to the stairs and opened the door, letting her taking in her first view of his everyday surroundings.

"So this is your room…" she whispered to herself as she revolved in one spot. _It's so clean! It's nothing like I imagined for a boy's room to look like._

She caught herself looking more than she should have. "Oh, s-sorry! I didn't mean to look around…" she apologized hastily as her cheeks grew pink. "It's just that this is the first time I've been to a boy's room…"

_She's so cute when she's jumpy,_ Souji noted as she turned her back on him.

"Oh, you sleep on a futon, I see. I use a futon, too…" She hooked her hand onto her arm behind her back as she stared at the neatly-folded, dark blue futon in the corner.

"Yeah, I kinda saw that when I went to see you," he reminded her casually. She felt herself redden even more.

"Umm, sorry… I don't know what to talk about…" she replied shyly. She stood helplessly as her mind drew a blank on anything else she could say.

_Aw, how cute. She forgot I saw her place before. _"The sofa good with you?" he offered. She spun around to face him, her face a deep shade of red.

"Huh…? Oh, y-y-you mean to sit? Anywhere's fine…" _Pull it together, Yukiko! Stop thinking such shameful thoughts!_

_Hello—what was she thinking just now? I only offered her a place to sit. _Yukiko shifted her stance as her eyes scoured the floor.

"I-I'm… fine with anything…" she said genially. "You don't need to worry about me…"

The redness in her cheeks slowly diminished to a pinkish glow as they both moved to his love seat. Her once-heavy breath slowed and softened as she began to relax a little while Souji strode over to the fan and clicked it on to allow air flow inside his stifling room.

_Think of something to talk about,_ he urged himself as he sat down. "How are you doing with your cooking? Is that going well for you?"

"Oh, yes. I'm still studying," she replied more calmly. "Cooking… and job licenses."

"You're still going for the job licenses?"

"I don't plan to leave anymore, but I thought I might as well." She smiled cordially. "I'm glad I realized sooner… If I'd struck out on my own, I know I would have regretted it."

Yukiko picked her head up and looked at Souji's face without locking eyes. "I wanted to become completely self-sufficient. But I think I was being presumptuous. I have the inn, I have my family, I have the waitresses and chefs… I am who I am now because I was raised by such a kind group… "

She looked straight ahead without changing her smile. "When I think of it that way, my problems aren't just my own. That's why… I'm going to stay here. By my own will."

_I guess that's all she wanted to say. Chie-chan was right—she really doesn't like me. My hopes were up for nothing._ As downhearted as he felt, he put on his best smile and simply said, "That's good."

She nodded and returned her gaze to him. Her view of him was lost in a flash of white light before clearing to an image of her persona, Konohana Sakuya, floating above her in a darkened space. The pink-clad, cheerleading bird-girl was engulfed with another flash of white light, revealing a new figure above her. This new persona was of a golden-white female shape with a long boa of what looked like flat, silvery plates. The ends of the boa were attached to slender, golden wrists with blossoms of jagged silver blooms, each centered with a massive red jewel. Clasped in her small, right hand was a simple, metallic rod.

_Konohana… Sakuya? No, she's different now. _The new persona floated down to Yukiko so it was levitating before her. With its left hand, it cupped Yukiko's cheek as it lowered it faceless head to examine her closer.

"…Amaterasu…" The scene disappeared in a final flash of blinding white light, returning Yukiko to the loveseat in Souji's room.

She still had her head craned towards Souji, who had some idea on what had just happened. The same thing happened with Chie and Yosuke when their personas transfigured into their stronger forms—the frozen stance, the distant look and the soft murmur of a name that Souji had never heard before. When Yukiko whispered her persona's name, he knew that she had acquired a new one.

_Looks like I've strengthened another bond with another arcana,_ Souji thought with a smile. _Too bad that's as far as our relationship's gonna go—I really liked her._

"This is… My new power…?" Souji watched as Yukiko basked in the radiance of her new persona. "The power you've shown me… Power I will treasure."

At her own words, she blushed brightly at him, catching him off guard. She stood up, Souji imitating her while she pulled out the shrine charm.

"I want you to have this," she said to him. He held his hand out and allowed her to place the charm in his palm. "It's a charm from that shrine… To protect you."

Somewhat befuddled, Souji turned the charm around in his hands. "You'll protect me," he tried to counter with, but she only shook her head.

"I want to, but…" A sad smile formed on her face as she let her eyes fall to the ground. "I'm staying here… This charm will protect you in my place… Then…"

With a trembling voice, she said to him, "…We'll always be together…"

Souji looked at the charm, then back to Yukiko. "Yukiko-san, what are you trying to say?"

Her hands joined together behind her back again in her usual stance with most of her weight distributed to one foot. "Souji-kun…"

The smile on her face was no longer sad, but bright and brimming with exhilaration. Souji could see in her eyes that she had something she desperately wanted to say and kept quiet, hoping that what she was about to say was exactly what he had wanted to hear for a very long time. He kept his eyes trained on her and watched as she raised her own to meet his gaze.

"I love you…" she whispered. It had taken all her strength and willpower just to get those three little words out and as meek as it sounded, it touched Souji in the deepest, darkest parts of his soul. An intense warmth coursed throughout his body, and he truly knew that his bond with Yukiko had become unbreakable.

"U-Umm…" she shifted uncomfortably as she cast her eyes away from his. "Sh-Sheesh… Don't stare so much at me…"

Souji hadn't even been aware of how long he was staring at her. He just knew that her words had made him happier than he had ever been in his entire life. Out of the corner of her eye, Yukiko saw him smile that same smile she had fallen for ages ago and felt herself burn an even deeper shade of crimson when he stepped forward and embraced her. Her arms reached up from under his and wrapped around his back as she pressed her cheek into his shoulder.

"Can I say it again…?" she asked.

"If it's alright with you, I'd like to hear it again," Souji replied, pressing his own cheek against her forehead.

She didn't hesitate as much this time, now full of confidence that she was free to express her feelings to him as much as she wanted. "Souji-kun… I love you."

He closed his eyes to savor the moment, wanting to be able to recall this feeling exactly how it was whenever he need be. It was only when he heard the sound of Yukiko's gentle sobs that he pulled away.

"What is it? Did I do something wrong again?" he asked tenderly as he peered into her face.

"It's nothing," she told him as she pulled out her handkerchief to dab at her eyes. "I'm just… so happy…"

With a gentle hand, he pulled her down to the sofa with him, allowing her to hiccup into his shoulder. "I feel the same way. Only, you're expressing it a lot better than I ever could."

Yukiko curled in towards his chest. "You must think I'm silly... crying like this after something like that."

"I think it's sweet," he said as he stroked his fingers through her silk-like hair. "It lets me know that your feelings for me are serious."

"You mean it?"

"Of course I do." He planted a soft kiss on her forehead. "So, what made you forgive me?"

Yukiko sat back on the sofa, her sobs less frequent and her eyes mostly dried. "Believe it or not, it's thanks to Chie that helped me realize how silly I was."

Souji almost laughed. "Chie-chan? Exactly how did she help you realize that?"

"Do you remember when we fought on the phone? I was upset when you described our relationship like that," she recalled with a frown. "I was afraid that you were one of those boys who said one thing with your mouth and thought something completely different. When you admit to me that you were a… a 'jerk', I was even more afraid that I had fallen for that type of boy."

It was Souji's turn to frown. "I stand by what I said before—I really am a jerk."

Yukiko held onto his left arm with both of hers and placed her head against his shoulder. "And I still stand by what I said before, too—you can't be a complete jerk if you were willing to risk your life for others."

"So, where does Chie-chan fit in this story?"

"After you left, Chie came up and we got to talking. She kept saying what a perfect guy you were."

"She's not entirely wrong," he joked with a grin. When he saw the look on Yukiko's face, his grin faded. "Sorry—that's what I meant when I said I was a jerk."

With a small shrug, she leaned against his arm more. "Anyway, when she said that, I asked what she would think if you had another side to you that you hid from everyone. She pointed out to me that everyone has another side to them and that the reason we had to go inside the TV was to save people from their other selves. Unlike your other self, mine tried to kill us, so I had no right to question you like that," she explained while guilt settled into her stomach.

"Hey, we were able to stop the other you, didn't we? Don't worry about it," he assured her as he clasped her hand in his. "Besides, it was my fault for saying something like that to you. It's not your fault for wanting to protect yourself from those types of guys."

Yukiko pulled away from him to sit up on the sofa, her fingers still laced with his. "But it is! I created an image of you that wasn't entirely you at all! In my mind, you were the perfect guy and my expectations of you were set so high that when you called our relationship a 'bad teenage drama' I… I actually started to…"

The growing lump in her throat kept her from continuing as she nearly broke out in tears again.

_You started to hate me? Is that what you were trying to say? _Souji scooted himself to the front of the sofa and released her hand so he could hug her. "When I said that, your image of me was ruined, wasn't it?"

All she could do was nod—the pressure in her throat was too much for her to even answer a simple 'yes' or 'no'. Unsure of what else to do for her, Souji rocked her from side to side, doing whatever he could to sooth her.

"I'm not perfect. I never was and I never will be. I'm sorry I couldn't live up to your expectations, but I can at least try."

"… Don't… I can't…" Her words were dampened by her trying to talk into his shoulder.

"Could you say that again? I couldn't hear you." Souji felt her hands push lightly against his chest so she could speak.

"Y-You don't have to change for me," she said as she dabbed at her reddened eyes again. "I c-can't think of anything about you that needs changing."

"That's not true." Souji got up from the loveseat and went over to his closet. He opened one of the doors and stared at himself in the mirror hooked on the inside of the door. "There's a lot about me that needs changing."

He was so focused on his reflection that he didn't notice that Yukiko had gotten up to hug him from behind. "That's okay. I'm sure I can learn to love everything about you. You accepted me just fine, and that was after you saw my inner thoughts."

His hands rested against the smaller ones wrapped around his waist. "Then, you don't hate every fiber of my being?"

She peeked out from behind him to look at his reflection. "Um, about that… I only said that to try to throw Chie off about us. She's been getting a little too close to the truth."

"Yeah? Just before I ran into you, she was questioning me about my feelings for you."

Yukiko released him and moved between him and the mirror. "She's getting pretty dangerous, isn't she?"

"That friend of yours really wants to see you and me together, huh?" Souji grinned. "What a good friend—always putting you before herself."

"You're going to like her more when I tell you what she thinks of you," Yukiko giggled.

"Oh? Is it more 'he's so perfect' stuff again?"

"Yes, but in more detail."

Souji blinked before ushering her back to the loveseat. "Do tell."

They moved back to the loveseat while Yukiko recalled what Chie had said to her over a week ago. "She said that you're really patient, especially when we do things that would make any other guy blow up at us. You're also really caring, because you're always helping people."

Souji nodded slowly. "Go on."

"Well, she also said that, it's rare to have a guy as honest as you around, and that she can't picture me with anyone else." She blushed at her best friends words. "I guess she was right about the honesty part—what you said about our relationship at the time… we really were like a 'bad teenage drama', weren't we?"

He didn't say anything, in fear that he might anger her again. Yukiko saw this and patted his knee. "It's okay now—I'm not mad anymore. If anything, it sounds rather funny now."

"Are you sure about that? It's not too soon to start poking fun at ourselves, is it?"

"We've been through a lot since that night, so it doesn't bother me anymore. Now that I think about it, maybe some of the things the 'jerk' side of you says might actually be funny." She smiled at him again, her cheeks still holding a rosy glow. "Tell me, which side of you called me 'Girlfriend'—Perfect-kun or Jerk-kun?"

Souji delved back into his memories for the first time he gave her that nickname. "Let's see… I was really tired that day and got dragged around by Ai-san… And then everyone claimed that I had a Sugar Daddy complex and I got really pissed off, so… That must've been Jerk-kun."

Yukiko giggled. "Okay, Jerk-kun. Did you come up with nicknames for everyone else?"

He shifted a little in his seat. "Do I have to?"

"Please?" She stared into his eyes with her own pleading ones.

"Sigh… Okay. First we have Yosuke, who was deemed 'Puppy'. Don't ask why, but he just reminds me of a puppy sometimes," Souji started, resting his face against his fist.

"'Puppy' seems to fit him just fine," Yukiko smiled. "He does seem excitable at times. Then, what's Chie?"

"When she took me shopping for supplies, it felt like I was a servant to her, so I called her 'Mistress'."

"Mistress? That sounds more like she's the other woman in a bad soap opera!" The first few bursts of laughter escaped her lips, but she quickly settled down to hear more. "Who else?"

"I haven't really thought of anything for Teddie, but Rise-chan became 'The Maiden' because of that time I used Unicorn."

"How does the word 'maiden' go hand in hand with the word 'Unicorn'?" Yukiko wondered aloud.

"Well, only a pure maiden can approach a unicorn, right? And usually, pure maidens are nice. So, when Rise-chan made that crack about Unicorn being girly, I thought that maybe Unicorn might've taken offense to it. It probably would've turned into the 'anti-maiden', but 'maiden' seemed like it was enough."

"I see, so Yosuke-kun is 'Puppy', Chie is 'Mistress', Rise-chan is 'The Maiden', so that leaves Kanji-kun." She looked at him expectantly. "What kind of name did you give him? Does it sounds like a super villain name, like, 'Destructor' or…"

"Mr. Fabulous."

Yukiko's face froze, and Souji watched as the corner of her mouth twitched before she burst out into a fit of laughter. "Mr. Fabulous?! Oh, that's priceless!"

"Yeah, um, after fighting his shadow… You know what? You can figure that one out easily," Souji tried to say while Yukiko laughed heartily. In her mind, she could clearly see the overly-muscular figure of Kanji's shadow wearing a loin cloth and holding two giant male symbols in each hand. Where a head should be was the upper half of a nude Kanji, surrounded by a small patch of roses that littered the muscular body's chest. Yukiko continued laughing until tears poured out of her eyes.

"Wh-What other… haha… f-friends… hee-hee… have names…?" she gasped between fits of laughter.

"Do you know Kou and Daisuke?"

"Y-Yeah, I know them…" She was fanning herself with her hand, trying to calm herself down.

"Well, they're a different case. See, when I first started attending school, these two would always call me up to hang out. So much so, that they reminded me of those overly-caring boyfriends that call their girlfriends everyday that you see in movies. So, I called them 'The Boyfriends' because of that."

"I still prefer Mr. Fabulous out of all the names," she snickered. "And, all this came out of the same Jerk-kun that I was mad at?"

"That's right," he confirmed. "You're taking to these names pretty well. I thought that you might think they were kinda mean."

"Well, 'Mistress' I understand, since she does make you do a lot of shopping for her," she said as she squirmed in her seat. "Yosuke-kun does remind me of a puppy, and Kanji-kun… Pffft…"

"Well, if you're gonna laugh like that, you'd better be careful when you run into any of them," Souji warned as she fell into another laughing fit. "Maybe I should give you your own embarrassing nickname, as well."

"Like what?" she asked, recovering more quickly this time.

"I dunno, but I've been having the name 'Kiki-chan' in my head this past week."

"'Kiki-chan'? That sounds like a monkey!" She laughed again. "Why 'Kiki-chan'?"

"I was thinking of just calling you 'Yuki', but it just sounded wrong after that Kubo kid used it," he admitted. "So, 'Kiki-chan' just kinda popped into my head. And then 'Chichi-chan and Riri-chan just kinda followed suit, so…"

"So, what shall I call you aside from 'Souji-kun' and 'Boyfriend'? It doesn't seem fair that we get all these names and you don't," she said mischievously as they heard the front door slam shut.

"I'm home!" they heard Nanako call from downstairs.

"We can think of a name for me later. Right now, we'd better get downstairs or else she might blab that I brought a girl to my room," Souji said hurriedly as he got up from the loveseat. Yukiko agreed, although quite disappointed that they didn't get a chance to find a good nickname for him. At the bottom of the stairs, they greeted Nanako.

"Oh, Big Sis Yukiko! You're all better!" the young girl cheered.

"You heard about my illness?" Yukiko was taken aback at how well informed she was.

"Yup! Big Bro told me," she said as she began putting away the groceries she had just bought.

"You shouldn't worry a young girl like that, Souji-kun," Yukiko admonished.

"She was questioning why I visited you," he whispered to her. "She was freaking out over the idea that I might be off visiting a girlfriend, or something."

"Well, she wasn't too far off with that idea," she whispered back.

"Big Sis Yukiko? Are you gonna stay for dinner?" Nanako asked.

"Oh no, thank you. I can't," Yukiko answered. "I have work early morning tomorrow."

"Aw, okay. Maybe we can do another cooking contest with everyone again!"

"We'll see about that, Nanako-chan," Souji said kindly. "But right now, I have to take Big Sis Yukiko home. Will you be alright by yourself?"

"Of course, Big Bro!" Nanako nodded with confidence.

"Then we'll be going now," he said as he turned to the door.

"Bye, Nanako-chan! We'll play some other time soon," Yukiko promised.

"Bye, Big Sis Yukiko!" As she watched Souji sit down to pull his shoes on, she ran up to him and whispered, "So, is she your girlfriend yet?"

"What do you mean, 'yet'?" Souji asked loudly in surprise. Nanako backed away towards Yukiko.

"Well? Is she?" she asked innocently.

"Huh?" Yukiko wasn't sure what was going on and looked to Souji for an answer. With both his shoes on, Souji stood up and looked back at her.

"What do you think, Big Sis Yukiko? Can she be trusted?" he asked playfully. Yukiko peered down at the young girl who was bouncing on her toes.

"I can be trusted! Oh please, tell me!"

"You mean about… Ah!" She cried out when Nanako started tugging at her hand.

"I promise I won't tell anyone!" she said as she stared up into Yukiko's eyes. There was something about the girl's penetrating look that told her that there was no point in hiding their secret from her anymore.

"Souji-kun… Should we?" she asked while Nanako continued pulling on her hand. He placed a hand on her shoulder and gave it a squeeze.

"I'd say she's trustworthy." He leaned in and whispered, "At least she's not as noisy as 'Mistress' is. Besides, she seems to have figured it out already."

Yukiko nodded, stifling a giggle with her hand at his usage of Chie's secret nickname. "Okay. Nanako-chan, do you really promise not to tell anyone?"

"Yeah! I promise!" she cried as she stopped bouncing on her toes.

"Do you promise to not tell anyone, including Uncle and all our friends and all your friends as well?" Souji added as a safety.

"I promise not to tell anyone—not even Daddy!" she assured. Souji knelt down so he was eye-level with her. He stared deep into her dark eyes, and she stared back without blinking. After a few seconds, he straightened back up and faced Yukiko.

"Yup, she can be trusted," he told her. "She didn't blink or anything."

"If you say so." Yukiko crouched down to Nanako's level and placed her hands on her shoulders. "Nanako-chan… Your Big Bro and I…"

She hesitated and looked up at Souji. "I don't know if I can do this."

"You don't have to if you don't want to," he said softly to her.

"I know, but part of me wants to let her know."

"Then, tell her."

Yukiko frowned. "It's not as easy as it sounds."

"I know, but you were pretty brave earlier."

"What are you…?" _Of course! Admitting my feelings to him was much harder than this! But then again, I've been practicing to tell him._

"So, are you not going to tell me anymore?" Nanako asked as her smile started to fade. Yukiko looked back at her and took a deep breath.

"Nanako-chan… I… I really like your brother, and he likes me back," she said as simply as she could. "S-So…"

Small arms were thrown around her neck as Nanako hugged her ecstatically. "I knew it! I can't wait to tell Dad—"

"Whoooa! Hold on there, Nanako-chan!" Souji picked her up off of Yukiko and held her from under her armpits. "You promised not to tell anyone, including Uncle Ryotaro!"

"You're right…" she sighed sadly as Souji set her down. "I'm sorry. But I'm so happy! Am I the first one you told, since you made me promise not to tell?"

Yukiko got to her feet and looked at the ground. "Actually…"

"Yeah, you are," Souji said as he patted the small girl's head. "You should be proud that we've entrusted such a secret to you!"

Nanako nodded. "Uh huh! I promise not to tell anybody!"

"Pinky swear?" Souji held out his right pinky for her to hook onto with her own. With pinkies locked, they shook on it and let go of each other's little finger. "Alright, we'll be going now."

"Bye, Big Sis Yukiko! See you later, Big Bro!" she called after them as they left. They remained quiet in the neighborhood until they reached the Samegawa Flood Plain.

"Souji-kun, Nanako-chan isn't the first one to know," she said quietly.

"I know, but she _is_ the first one we told," he replied easily. "Kasai-san found out without us saying anything, remember?"

"Yeah, you're right! Then we didn't lie to Nanako-chan at all!" Her face perked up at the realization and looked out onto the river, which shimmered with the reflection of the late afternoon sun. "Um, Souji-kun, I was just thinking… Maybe we shouldn't hide our relationship anymore."

Souji didn't slow down his pace and just kept walking. "How come?"

"Well, when Kasai-san found out, she was really happy about it. And after telling Nanako-chan, I just feel like it's something we shouldn't keep to ourselves. When I told Nanako-chan, it just felt so… liberating."

"Well, it does feel that way, but…" He slowed his walk to a stop, making Yukiko worry.

"What's wrong?" she asked as she stepped back to him. He looked back down the flood plain to the gazebo and remembered that day that changed their relationship.

"Do you remember what happened when everyone thought that Ai-san and I were dating?"

"Y-Yeah, I remember." She took notice on how his mood had suddenly changed to a more melancholic one.

"I don't want anything to happen to you," he said firmly. "After seeing how crazy people could get after losing their chance with someone they like, I don't want you to go through what we did!"

"Souji-kun…" _He really cares about me, even took to heart what happened to him and Ai-san. Is that why he made Nanako-chan promise not to tell? _

She looked around briefly for any onlookers before holding him close. "Okay, Souji-kun. We don't have to tell anyone else about us."

Souji was astounded at how readily she had agreed to his request. "You're really okay with that?"

"Why not? You've had first-hand experience with the dangers at school, so why shouldn't I believe you? We'll keep us secret for now, since I'm also worried about what other trials you'll have to endure for me," she said as she hugged him tighter. "But, that's the only secret that we keep, okay? Anything else we tell to each other—no more secrets or else we'll just end up like that bad teenage drama you described earlier."

She stepped away from him and saw him holding something in his hand. At a closer look, she saw it was the shrine charm she had given him.

"This thing really works, huh?" he said as he examined it closely. "I was afraid that you would've pushed to just let everyone know about us."

"I did for a bit, but the way you sounded when you said you didn't want to just made me realize how dangerous it could be for us if everyone knew," she explained. "I don't think I want to find tacks in my shoes on the first day of school."

"Yeah, I don't feel like carrying you to the hospital with your feet all bloody," he said with a shrug. "But really, does this thing work? What's it supposed to do, anyway?"

"It's supposed to ward off any harm," she informed him as he held it up for her. "And I have proof that it works."

"So, it's not a good luck charm? And how can you prove that it worked?"

"When we were inside the TV. It protected me from that bomb," she giggled as she ran ahead of him.

"Hey! I thought I was the one that did that!" he yelled as he ran up after her. Yukiko stopped at the bottom of the hill that led up to the inn to allow Souji time to catch up.

"You crazy…" Souji said as he caught up to her. "It's too hot to ru—"

Yukiko had pulled his head down to her own, taking Souji by surprise. His eyes remained opened while hers were shut tight, her mouth clamped fiercely over—

"Yukiko-san… Your aim needs work."

Yukiko's eyes snapped open and she saw that she had missed her mark. Souji was staring at her with half-closed eyelids while she sucked on his nose. She tore herself from him and her hand flew over her mouth, her face returning to that bright red it had been all afternoon. "Souji-kun, I'm sorry!"

Souji, however, wasn't mad at all. In fact, he was laughing at the whole thing. Yukiko had never seen him laugh so hard before and was even more embarrassed at her pathetic attempt at a bit of romance. She turned her back on him to allow her face to return to normal while he got his laughter out of his system. When he had finished, he came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her shoulders.

"You really are cute, you know that?" he whispered into her ear. She craned her head so she could talk to him easier.

"But I ruined a good moment! How could I—"

"Shh…" He placed a finger over her lips to silence her. "You didn't ruin anything. Actually, you confirmed something for me."

"What do you mean?" she asked once his finger was removed.

"Not too long ago, Rise-chan asked me what kind of girl I like. I didn't know at the time, but now I do."

Yukiko reached up to hold onto Souji's arms around her. "Now that you know—what kind of girl do you like?"

"The kind that is smart, beautiful, loving, unique, and a little clumsy."

"Clumsy?" She raised her voice enough so that she didn't have to turn her head. "How come clumsy made the list?"

"You don't know?" He hugged her tighter. "In my book, clumsy is sexy."

Yukiko felt the heat rise around her face. "S-So, my little mistake earlier…"

"Was adorable," he finished for her. "But, as adorable as it was, it's a bit dangerous to linger here when your inn's just right there."

"I guess you're right." Yukiko let her hands slide down his arms as he pulled away from her. "Then, you'll be returning home now, right?"

"Yeah. I gotta make sure Nanako-chan's true to her word."

"All right, then," she said a little dolefully as he turned to leave. "Wait, Souji-kun?"

Souji had taken a few steps away from her before turning back. "Yeah?"

"I've thought of another name you can call me," she called to him. He retraced the few steps back to her.

"Oh? And what would that be?"

Her head dipped down a little so she was staring into his chest. "Do you remember what you called me the last time we were inside the TV? It was when you saved me."

When she saw he wasn't getting the hint, she tried to prod him along with a few more hints. "You said earlier that calling me 'Yuki' felt awkward after that boy used it, so…"

Strong yet gentle hands placed themselves onto her shoulders, making her look up just as Souji pressed his lips to hers. Her eyes fluttered closed as she gained familiarity with his touch, electricity sizzling from their point of intimate contact down her spine. When they broke apart, Yukiko remained frozen as she was, her eyes opening just enough to see his fuzzy image walk away from her backwards.

"I'll see you when I do… Yukiko…" he said before turning around and running off. Once he had disappeared from her view, she turned towards the inn and trudged up the hill with her hand pressed over her lips. At the entrance of the inn, she turned back around and chuckled to herself.

"And I was worried he was going to call me 'Amagi' again…"

--

"Welcome home, Big Bro!"

Souji made it back to the house, still feeling like the happiest guy alive. "Hey, Nanako-chan," he called from the doorway. When he walked into the living room, he found his uncle sitting at the kitchen table reading a newspaper.

"Hey, Seta," he said gruffly from behind his paper. Souji padded up to the somewhat scruffy man as he set the paper down.

"Hey, Uncle. Good to see you back at home more," he said kindly, still in an excellent mood from earlier.

"I heard you got top marks on that last exam," Ryotaro said with a broad grin. "Keeping up your studies while taking care of Nanako, too…? You're one hard worker, aren't you?"

Souji watched as his uncle took out his wallet. "I need to act like an uncle every so often and give you some spending money."

He pulled out a big wad of money and handed it to his nephew. "Here you go… a big tip. But don't spend it all in… Nah, you can use it however you like."

Souji stared at the forty thousand yen his uncle had placed in his palm before returning to his newspaper. He suppressed the urge to hug his uncle by scuttling up the stairs and stashing it away with the rest of his savings.

_Thank you, God, for letting me have one the best days ever!_ With the money hidden away in his drawer, he plopped onto the couch and pulled out the shrine charm from his pocket.

"I wonder if this thing works on certain people who like to spend my money," he asked aloud, not really looking for an answer. "If it worked on Yukiko-san, it should work on me."

He sighed as he replayed that afternoon over and over in his mind. "Yukiko… This is gonna be hard. I have to be careful when I use your name in public. Everyone'll question me if I slip up and forget to use the honorific."

Souji's hand closed over the charm. "But, Chie-chan and Yosuke never use honorifics with each other, so how come no one questions them? So weird…"

It was at the mention of Chie and Yosuke that he remembered that he had a good chance of having to work at Junes all of next week. He slapped a hand to his forehead. "Dammit! That means no Yukiko all week!"

Getting to his feet, he paced the length of his room, the charm still safely in his hand. "Maybe I can get her to visit us at Junes? No, we won't be able to say much…."

He stopped pacing and noticed that his closet door was still open. His reflection caught his attention and stared at himself, remembering how wonderful it felt to have Yukiko hug him from behind. _And then she accepted the asshole side of me. I never thought that would be possible._

A knock at his door made him snap his neck towards the sound. "Big Bro! Dinner's almost ready!"

"Okay! Thanks, Nanako-chan!" he called as he closed his closet. He was about to leave the small, red pouch on the table until he had second thoughts and placed it inside the breast pocket of his shirt. On the way down to the kitchen, he patted it down against his chest, wondering when the next time would be that he would see his girlfriend.

--

Author's note: Sorry I couldn't make the deadline I usually have for myself, but as you can see from the sheer length of the chapter, it was somewhat inevitable. To be honest, I hated writing the middle. I felt like the flow wasn't going so well. And emotional parts are the death of me. But, the whole thing was still good practice, so I still had fun.

For those of you who want to, I am now on twitter and you can find me by going to my profile to find the link. I found that the search bar they give you doesn't work very well, so just copy paste the link.

If you didn't get the 'Kanji Call' it works like this: dial Kanji's number on your cell phone, and say 'get bent' into the phone. He'll come running to beat down any bad guys that might be causing trouble. His only failure thus far was going against Chie, but he was able to outrun her just fine (she was probably just trying to save her 'love taps' for a certain 'puppy').

Yes, I do call Kou and Daisuke "The Boyfriends" because of the reason Souji gave. As for Rise, she's normally called "Inexperienced Jailbait" thanks to Kashiwagi, but let's face it—Souji's not that mean.

Thanks, you guys, for all your support! Reading, reviewing, favoriting, but just seeing how much you all enjoy my work (going so far as to tell me to construct and market Chie's backpack) just makes me feel that all the energy I'm putting into this fic isn't going to waste.

Oh, and to a reader whom I've been coming into contact a lot on twitter: About the fluff I told you about… I lied. ^^;

Thanks again, you guys! I'm probably going to take a really, really long break after this chapter.

Warning: next chapter WILL be a filler.


	16. Chapter 16

The quiet, country town of Inaba awoke to a muggy, Monday morning with clouds blanketing the sky and humidity thick enough to make one's clothes cling easily to their skin. Residents of this town were listless and refused to face the day unless they had some form of air conditioning to rescue them from the heat. One young man, however, was walking with a sort of bounce to his step on his way to the local department store to aid a friend in need.

_Goooood morning, Inaba!_ Souji announced loudly in his mind as he turned a corner into the shopping district. Several women were already walking along the sidewalk fanning themselves with miserable looks on their faces, the heat already taking its toll on their bodies. Souji stopped for a moment to observe them.

_Aw, would you look at that,_ he thought when he saw their dour expressions. _They're unhappy because they know I'm no longer on the prowl. Sorry ladies, but I've got someone extra special now._

He then proceeded to look at the little girl standing outside of the book store. Upon closer inspection, he recognized her as the little girl who requested that he find her twin sister for her. Not too long after finding her, her twin followed suit and asked him to find her random accessories that would allow her to become distinguishable from her sister. Strangely enough for Souji, all the items she had requested were found inside the TV world, where he and his friends risked their necks for these simple little trinkets.

_By the gods, I'm their bitch!_ Souji narrowed his eyes at the little girl as he thought acrimoniously to himself: _Find your own damn sister, and tell her to put her ass on the line for her own fashion crap! I'm nobody's bitch!_

He let his shoulders droop as he exhaled heavily. _I may be nobody's bitch, but my wallet serves two masters, and I'm not even one of them!_

The sound of his name being called caused him to look up. The tall figure of Kanji was jogging down to him from up the hill, his hand high over his head as he waved towards his senior.

_Oh look, it's one of my wallet's masters, Mr. Fabulous! _Souji waved back, switching his irked façade into a somewhat more pleasant one.

"G'mornin', Senpai!" Kanji greeted warmly as he drew near. "Doin' some early shoppin' or just on a walk?"

"Actually, I'm on my way to Junes to help out," he answered as he began to walk towards the department store. "Yosuke called this morning sounding pretty desperate."

The bigger teen laced his fingers together and held them behind his head. "Must be for that Featherman R show they're puttin' on all week…" he said thoughtfully.

"Featherman R?" They stopped at an empty intersection as Souji sifted through his memory as to why the name was so familiar. "Oh, that popular superhero, you mean. Junes is putting a show on all week?"

"Yup! I wanna get a good seat myself, so I got up earlier 'n usual," he replied with a grin as they crossed the street.

_It's already almost eleven, so that's actually pretty good coming from you._ "Is he really that popular? I've never seen his show myself."

"Senpai, you're missin' out! Featherman R's the greatest!" Kanji began a whole speech on the history of the superhero, covering everything from how Featherman R came into existence to why his arch nemesis, the Falcon Emperor, decided to spread chaos throughout the land.

_So it's a pretty generic plotline where the Pidgeonator goes into battle against the evil Turkey Czar,_ Souji thought as they reached Junes. _Maybe I should try it on for size one of these days…_

They took a moment to bask in the blissfully cool air of the department store before heading into the elevator. Souji tapped the button that would take them up to the food court, not really wanting to go back into the humidity just yet. They rode in silence for the first half of the ride up before Kanji spoke up.

"Um, I kinda feel like I'm forgetting somethin'," he mumbled to himself. Souji looked up at him with wonder.

"Did you have work to do at your shop? Maybe you should just—"

"No, no, that ain't it," he replied hastily. "It's more like somethin'… somethin' real important that I was supposed'ta tell ya…"

The elevator doors opened with a soft "ding" and the two boys made to step out, only to be stopped with the smaller form of Chie, clad in a green tank top and short, blue shorts. Her face wasn't welcoming at all, as it was forcing a smile while the corner of her mouth twitched obviously.

"Good morning, Kanji-kun, Seta-kun," she greeted through clenched teeth. Each syllable was accentuated sharply, giving even more indication that she was most displeased with something the two of them had done.

"H-Hi, Chie-senpai…" Kanji rubbed at the back of his head with a nervous grin, when suddenly he brought that same hand down and snapped his fingers. "Oh, now I remember! Yesterday after I managed to hide from Chie-senpai, I overheard her say that she was gonna come after you next!"

_What fabulous timing you have there—just warning me seconds before she tears me apart. And since when is calling me "Seta-kun" a name girls use to show they hate me?_ Without removing his gaze from the perturbed girl, Souji began to repeatedly stab at the "close" button. Just as the elevator began to close, Chie wedged herself between the two doors and threw them open with a loud grunt, sending chills down both boys' spines.

"Daaaaamn … She's even more pissed than yesterday! Glad I ain't you," Kanji looked at Souji with wide-eyed pity.

_Hell hath no wrath like a woman scorned… Hell can suck it for leaving me to deal with a pissed-off Mistress._ With that as his last thought, a small hand shot out and grabbed the front of his shirt, dragging him out of the elevator with Kanji following cautiously from a safe distance. He watched as Chie shoved Souji into one of the chairs by the food booth and slammed her hands down on the arm rests on either side of Souji's ever-stoic form.

"Okay, Seta! Spill!" she demanded as she stuck her face close to his. As scary as she was, all Souji could really do was let the corner of his lip curl and let out a small, nervous chuckle.

"Spill what? I have no clue what you're talking about," he answered half-honestly. All he knew was that he made the mistake of upsetting the wrong girl.

"You know _exactly_ what I'm talking about!" she boomed in his face. "Don't pretend you're not thinking about it right now!"

Souji pulled a face as her hot breath washed over his nostrils. _Ugh, right now I'm thinking about how meat gum is not a good breath freshener, but there's no way I'm telling you that when you're this rabid._ "Look, _Satonaka,_ I truly have no idea what you're talking about. If you just say what it is I'm sure—"

"Me and Yukiko! How could you even consider something like that?!" Chie was so upset at this point that the blood had rushed to her face and tinged it a cherry red color. After a moment of thought, Souji finally remember what he had said about his two friends.

"Ah, that. I really meant no harm in saying that you two were da—"

Once again, Chie's small hand shot out, only this time it clapped itself over Souji's mouth. She turned her head down in embarrassment and lowered her voice. "Don't say it! We are _not_ in that kind of relationship! We're best friends!"

Calmly, Souji brought his own hand up to remove Chie's hand from his mouth. "Which is the point I was trying to make yesterday about Yukiko-san and I—we're just friends, just like you and her. If I'd known you were gonna be bothered by it this much, I would've just said that our relationship is just like yours and Yosuke's…"

Chie's face went from raw rage to pure panic at her friend's new comparison and had to grip the arm rests of the chair with every bit of energy she could muster to keep from slapping Souji. "That's even worse than me and Yukiko! Seta, you have soiled my honor, and for that you must suffer divine punishment!"

_Divine… what? No, don't tell me…_ Souji watched in horror as Chie cocked her right leg back, her knee poised to strike him in a most delicate region. Even his stoic nature was rattled by this sight as he opened his mouth to let out a small gasp. At the same time, Chie looked away as if she was torn between restoring her honor and causing harm to her friend.

"Chie-senpai! D-Don't do it!" Souji heard Kanji yell from the safety of a few tables away. Chie craned her neck to look over her shoulder at him.

"I have to, Kanji-kun! And besides—you're next, so you get to see a preview of your fate!" she shouted back at him, causing him to flinch before backing away slowly. Her attention returned to Souji. "I really don't want to do this, but you left me with no choice!"

"Chie-chan, I'm sure there's something else I can do to make it up to you," he tried to bargain with her. "It doesn't always have to be through violent means that you get your revenge, does it?"

Taking a quick glance down, Souji could see that Chie was gripping the arms of the chair so tightly that she was shaking. She looked down at her hands to avoid looking Souji in the eyes and repositioned her knee. "Just let me make this quick, okay? It'll only hurt for a few hours, but at least you'll remember to watch what you say!"

_That's not very reassuring,_ he thought, somehow managing to take his mind off of Chie's threatening weapon of choice. "We still have a whole day of work ahead of us, can't we just…"

He was answered by her resting her knee on the small bit of chair nestled between his legs to make sure her aim was dead-on. She then pulled her leg back, keeping it level with the chair to prepare her strike. Though his face showed little worry, in his mind he was screaming: _Heeeeelp! Fire! Murder! RAPE!_

Frozen to the chair, he watched as her knee plowed forward, shooting past his knees, past his thighs, and stopping dead in front of his privates. He blinked a few times to make sure he hadn't gone into shock and saw that he remained untouched by only a few centimeters. Looking up, he saw that Chie was gritting her teeth while trying to tug her leg forward, her knee bobbing closer and closer to his groin. Behind her, Souji could see that Yosuke had come to his rescue and had her ankle in his hands, throwing his weight backwards to keep her from completing her attack.

"Kill him any other time, but right now there're kids around!" Yosuke grunted without letting go of her ankle. Chie tried to free herself from his grasp by flailing her leg about, but to no avail. Instead, she used her free leg to launch her weight up onto her arms, using the chair as a support so she could have full freedom to pummel Yosuke with her feet. Yosuke instinctively let go and took several steps back, almost walking right into a shorter figure in the form of a blue bear wearing a red and white suit.

"Chie-chan! Sensei! You two seem energetic today!" Teddie greeted in a chipper voice. "Ready to help out today?"

_Your level of ignorance to my impending doom disturbs me, bear. _Souji shook his head at Teddie's inability to spot his predicament. Not wanting to face another near-death experience he quickly jumped up from the chair and moved a ways away from Chie. Soon after, Kanji joined them, his hands awkwardly twitching every now and then as if he was preparing to protect his own crotch.

"Good morning, Teddie," Souji managed to say as casually as possible. "So, I hear from Tatsumi that there's a Featherman R show going on."

The bear nodded vigorously. "Uh huh! And we're gonna fill some empty tummies while everybody watches! Teddie'll work the grill, and Chie-chan, Sensei and Yosuke are gonna pass out the food!"

_Great, my no-no parts are safe for the week from Mistress's Galactic Punt,_ Souji frowned slightly. Yosuke caught a glimpse of it and pulled a face.

"Dude, c'mon, I'm paying you guys extra for this while getting you free lunches," he groaned as he handed both Chie and Souji yellow aprons with the name "Junes" printed on it. He cast a look at Kanji, who waved a hand at him.

"Oh, uh, I'm not here to work," he said quickly. "I just came to watch the show."

_That was fabulously shameless of you,_ Souji thought with a sigh as he put on his apron. He could feel the sensation of someone boring holes in the back of his head and saw Chie glaring at him.

_From that look, I'm guessing that she won't forget to kick me within the week. Better think quick, Souji!_ "Uh, hey, Satonaka..." He paused to give him a little more time to think, but Chie thinned her lips at him and began to grind her foot into the ground.

"Yes, _Seta_-kun?" Her eyebrows were furrowed at him as her tone grew harsher. She shifted her stance so her feet were apart as wide as her shoulders and her fists were planted firmly on her hips. Souji knew that if he didn't deal with this now, he'll be bedridden for a week. He looked around and saw that Yosuke and Teddie were already inside the food booth prepping ingredients while Kanji ordered food for himself. With all three out of earshot, Souji took the opportunity to fix things.

"Look, I'm sorry about what I said yesterday," he said in an apologetic voice. "But I really don't see you two like that. I know you guys are best friends and it was just a bad example I made, but you really don't have to go to such violent lengths to punish me."

"Of course I do! How will you learn?!" Chie screeched right into Souji's face. He stopped his breathing so as not to smell her meat gum breath again before answering.

"Tell me, has Yosuke learned anything after you hit him?" He asked calmly.

"He takes a couple of good whacks, but he gets there eventually," she growled, the tension in her face increasing.

"So, wouldn't that mean that he's not really learning if you have to keep hitting him?"

"He's showing progress! And you're smart, so you should only take one good whack to the—"

"Whoa, there!" He raised his voice and held a hand before him when he saw Chie start to lift her leg. "First off, there're kids around, and you don't want to show them that it's okay to hit their friends. Plus, we could ruin business for Yosuke's dad, so you're better off using a different method for your revenge."

For a moment, Souji could see that she was struggling to agree. Knowing that his reasoning was right, she let her hands falls to her sides and let out a sigh. "Okay, you're right—I'm not here to promote violence to kids. So, what's your idea?"

_She actually believed that? Damn, I'm a conniving, manipulative bastard. I'm like, the bastard of bastards. I should be called… Captain Bastard! _"Well, there're other ways of getting revenge, so you don't have to hit me."

"Like what?" She gave him a look that said if he didn't give her examples, she was going to hit him anyway.

"That's the beauty of revenge—you can tailor it to be as damaging as you want, and you can spring it whenever you want. It doesn't always have to be right after someone has wronged you, and sometimes it can be sweeter when you wait."

_I wonder if this is gonna work against me in the future,_ he thought as he watched her ponder this different concept of revenge. _But, she's one to act before thinking, so it's probably just gonna be something simple, like buying her a dozen steaks or something. My boys are spared._

"Alright, Seta-kun!" she announced with a smile after her short silence. "I'll take up on your offer of this new idea for revenge!"

"Good. Very good," was all Souji said as he returned her smile.

--

"…Featherman R! He flies for great… JUSTICE!"

The first showing of the day had ended, and among the chorus of children singing the superhero's theme song, a rich, baritone voice could be heard floating from somewhere in the back by the food booth—Kanji was belting out the theme perfectly on key, earning him some applause from the parents.

"Kanji, I didn't know you could sing!" Teddie marveled from behind the grill.

"We never would've guessed you were so talented," Chie said as she set another plate of grilled steak down in front of the big teenager.

"Well, you never asked," he laughed bashfully as he cut a piece of steak and ate it. Yosuke joined them after wandering through the crowd delivering food.

"Dude, did you guys hear some guy in the back singing the theme song?" he asked just as Souji also returned from delivering food.

"It was Kanji-kun singing," Chie sighed heavily. "I wish I could sing at least half as good as that…"

Yosuke came up and nudged her with his elbow. "What, can't sing? Hell, even I can carry a tune…"

"Can you carry your broken limbs as well as a tune once I'm through with you?!" she barked sharply. Souji's eye twitched ever-so slightly, now knowing what it's like to be on the receiving end of her threat.

"Sometimes you just have to get a little practice every once in awhile," Souji said as an attempt to quell her rising anger. "Even if it's just something like singing while taking a bath, it's still practice."

"S'really not that hard, Chie-senpai," Kanji said between mouthfuls of steak, his pride still shining on his face. "Just feel the music and start singin'."

"C'mon, Chie-chan!" Teddie cheered with a grin. "Let's hear that beautiful voice you've been hiding!"

She looked around at her friends, debating whether she should risk the humiliation or just back down. "Wh-What should I sing…?"

_How about a theme song for me? It can go something like, Captain Bastard! He's a bastard! Gonna take his bastardness to… what the heck rhymes with 'bastard'?_

"Just sing the Featherman R song," Teddie prodded as he flashed her another grin. The other three boys smiled at her expectantly and watched as she drew in a deep breath and let out a noise like a dying rhinoceros. Teddie, Kanji and Souji were crippled by the sound and plugged their ears with their fingers while Yosuke pulled his heavy headphones up and over his own. With the freedom of both hands, he picked up a large chunk of Kanji's steak and shoved it into Chie's mouth, ending the nightmarish sound.

"Is there anything you can do that doesn't kill anyone?!" he half-shouted as he removed his headphones. The other three slowly removed their fingers from their ears and observed their two friends begin another argument.

"I can't help that I'm better at kicking things than cooking or singing!" she screamed at him after yanking the steak out of her mouth and throwing it back onto Kanji's plate. Her face had begun to regain that cherry-red tint. "At least I'm making an effort! Unlike you, who just complains about everything, especially whenever I try to do something!"

The two were about to really let each other have it until Teddie decided to play peacemaker. While still working the grill, he shouted from the small booth, "No more fighting! Chie-chan, you're good at making awful-tasting food, and Yosuke, you're good at complaining! Now let's just be friends again!"

Yosuke and Chie responded to the bear's remarks with dirty looks that made Teddie shrink down below the booth's counter. They quickly resumed their argument as Souji looked over to the stage and saw an unfinished tower looming behind the massive curtain, its balcony only partially completed.

"Hey, what's with the tower?" He shouted over his friends' voices, causing them to cease their fight. Yosuke looked over to the stage and softened his eyes.

"That's the tower for Friday's special show," he explained, his tone completely different from just a few seconds ago. "Some parents wanted to have more than just superhero shows and the group we hired agreed to do a special show on Friday night."

"What kind of show?" Chie asked, now more interested in the show than arguing.

"Something about two kingdoms at war, and a princess getting taken away from her lover by some prince," Yosuke shrugged. "I don't really see how it's any different from the Featherman R shows, if you ask me. Only difference is, the guy playing the Falcon Emperor's gonna be the hero for this play."

"Does that mean the princess's lover is going to be played by Featherman R?" Souji asked, also getting absorbed into the conversation. By now, Teddie had resurfaced from beneath the counter and was listening in.

"Yeah, pretty much. They thought that the guy playing the Falcon Emperor had a better singing voice."

"Oh, so it's kinda like a musical thing," Kanji wondered aloud as he began cutting up the steak that had been shoved into Chie's mouth a few moments earlier. "Maybe I'll come watch that one, too."

"Don't bother," Yosuke sighed. "The knight-lover guy's just gonna save the princess like always, so you're just wasting time watching it."

Teddie called them over to deliver more trays of food to awaiting customers, taking everyone's mind off of Friday's show. Souji, however, had his mind on other things as he grabbed a tray and walked it to its owner.

_I'm surrounded by two friends that keep arguing, a happy bear, the fabulous one, a sea of children and their parents, and a show about a bird man that shows twice a day. It's freakin' hot, we're working under the sun all week, and with that said, I can truly say that every day is not great at my local Junes. I hope Girlfriend can visit sometime during the week… And I hope she brings Topsicles. Lots and lots of Topsicles…_

--

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday rolled by slowly and Kanji was the only friend that visited all week. He had become busy at the textile shop while Yukiko and Rise had their own family businesses to tend to. Their other friends either had to help out at their family businesses as well or were on vacation, something that Souji was quite jealous of. It was already Friday afternoon and the final showing of Featherman R was halfway through.

_Amagi-mama, Amagi-papa, please spare your beloved daughter some time to visit a pitiful bastard like me,_ he silently begged as he wiped down a recently-vacated table. _And feel free to send her with a care package consisting of Topsicles and other chilled goodies…_

He stopped wiping the table for a moment to reach into his pocket for his handkerchief. Carefully folded inside was the small charm that Yukiko had given him barely a week ago. He had kept it with him after seeing that he had gone almost a whole week without Chie springing any sort of revenge on him. Seeing the security the charm had to offer, he kept it as added protection in addition to having some sort of connection to Yukiko.

Not wanting to cause damage to the charm, he wrapped it back into his handkerchief before replacing it back into his pocket and wiped the sweat off his brow with his bare arm.

_That didn't do much,_ he grumbled internally. _All it did was put my arm sweat on my forehead and my forehead sweat on my arm... And now I've got sweat in my eye… Should've just brought another handkerchief to wipe myself off with..._

Souji blinked hard at the sweat that had dripped into his eye and started back towards the food booth. He was impressed to see that Teddie was still working as hard as ever, manning the grill in his thick bear suit and never showing signs of slowing down.

_How does he do it? Why hasn't this bear made a single complaint about the work? It's at least as hot as the surface of the sun right now, but add a bear suit and a flaming grill and that's just suicide!_ His question was soon answered as a beautiful woman walked up with her young daughter and told Teddie her order. The bear obliged and Souji watched as he gave them slightly larger portions of food than normal before accepting their money.

_This bear's a bigger man-whore than me!_ As he approached the food booth to scold Teddie, he saw the bear begin to wobble on his feet. His smile had quickly become a frown as his eyes closed halfway, and Souji knew that his friend wasn't going to last. Just before Teddie was able to do a face-plant onto the grill, Souji grabbed onto him and led him out of the booth as Chie and Yosuke ran up to them.

"Is he alright?" Chie asked when she saw Teddie's mostly-limp form.

"You'd better take him to the back," Yosuke instructed as he took over the grill. "We don't want the kids to see you decapitate their favorite bear."

Souji and Chie helped Teddie to a small sitting area behind the food booth. Souji popped the bear head off and Chie stuck a bottle of chilled water into the blonde boy's mouth as she dabbed at his dripping face with a wet handkerchief.

"…Thanks… Chie-chan…" Teddie gasped after several gulps of cold water. His usually fine, blonde hair was matted wetly on his head from sweat and the poor boy couldn't even sit up without Souji holding him in place. Chie continued to dab at his face with a worried look on her own.

"Oh, poor guy. I think he's had enough for today," Chie said while Souji tried to remove the rest of the bear suit. With Teddie just sitting in a pair of shorts and a T-shirt now, Chie proceeded to pour some of the contents of the water bottle onto the boy's head.

"That feels… good…!" Teddie laughed weakly at the touch of cold water on his skin. He nearly fell out of his seat using the last of his energy to laugh.

"Working the grill for five days wearing a bear suit during summer… It's a miracle he hasn't shriveled up from dehydration," Souji pointed out as he caught Teddie before he fell over again. "We need to get him home before he gets worse."

At the sound of the idea of being sent home, Teddie sat up by himself. "But… Teddie doesn't wanna miss the play! Teddie wants to see the princess get rescued from the bad guy!"

"When you're not well, you need to stay home and rest," Souji told him. As if on cue, the audience let out a series of boos and hisses as the superhero show continued. _Huh, guess they're at the part where the Turkey Czar takes Pidgeonator's girlfriend hostage. Or they just really don't want Teddie to go home…_

"Hey, can you check up on Yosuke?" Chie asked Souji as she continued to mop up Teddie's face. "We kinda ditched him with the food."

With a nod, Souji returned to the front of the booth and was almost bowled over by two big guys carrying a third on their shoulders. A young woman also ran by and the group disappeared into the open elevator. Souji looked to Yosuke who was talking to the manager of the actors. As he drew nearer, he saw Yosuke pull out his cell phone to call someone.

"…Yeah, they're on their way to the hospital right now," Souji heard Yosuke say. "No, they're not sure if they can pull it off… Well, they really just need… What, me? How'm I supposed to…"

Yosuke looked up and spotted Souji walk up to the food booth. While still keeping up his phone conversation, he single-handedly plated food on two trays and handed them to Souji, pointing out to where he should take the trays to. Souji in turn took the trays to their rightful owners and returned to the food booth just as Yosuke got off his cell phone.

"Dammit, my Dad wants to keep tonight's show on and put me in charge of finding a replacement for the guy that's supposed to play the knight," Yosuke grumbled to his somewhat silent friend. "Where the hell am I gonna find someone who can sing and kick ass in the next hour?!"

_Sing? Kick ass? That sounds like a job for…_ "Hey, what about Mr. Fab—ah, Kanji-kun?"

The sound of a spatula scraping across the grill could be heard inside the booth before he got an answer. "Huh? Why him? A guy like that can't…"

The sour expression on Yosuke's face changed almost immediately into a more accepting one as he remembered hearing Kanji sing just a few days ago. "Dude, you're a genius!"

_Why yes, yes I am, thank you. _Souji shrugged off the compliment. "Uh, yeah, sure. You go tell your dad that you found someone and I'll call Tatsumi up."

--

A half an hour later, Kanji was put through several tests—singing, acting, fitting the costume and stage fighting. He passed the singing portion with flying colors, but everything else he bombed miserably. His acting was too stiff and he stuttered horribly, he was far too tall for the costume, and when it came to the sword fighting, he threw his sword away and smashed in the faces of the three actors they had him fight against.

_Everyday bites at your Junes,_ Souji sighed as Kanji practically ran away from the stage. He quickly finished wiping down the last few tables before returning to the food booth with the rest of his friends.

"So now we have no one else that can replace the knight," Yosuke shrugged without much of a care. "Oh well, guess that means we can all go home early."

Teddie, who was still recovering from dehydration, was now seated in front of the booth without his bear suit so he could still announce advertisements to the customers and watch that night's performance. He was quite distressed when Yosuke said that the show would not go on. "But, who will save the princess?"

Chie, Yosuke, Kanji and Souji all looked at his watery blue eyes. The blonde boy looked so saddened by the lack of a hero that Chie couldn't help but pity him. "Aw, Teddie…"

"It's just a play, Ted," Yosuke said coldly from inside the booth. "It's just a story that people act out."

Teddie blinked. "A story? What do you mean?"

"It means that someone wrote about the actions and words that characters say and do and turned it into something that others can view for entertainment," Souji tried to explain. "Some stories happened in real life, but in this case, this play is made from someone's imagination."

"Yeah, what he said," Kanji said with a grin. "So don't worry 'bout the princess. Some way or another, she'll get rescued."

"So, is there any way we can change the story so that the princess does get rescued?" Teddie asked expectantly.

"Well…" Souji stopped to think for a moment about his answer. _I could tell him about copyright infringement, but… is it safe to tell him about fan fiction?_

"Anyway, it's too bad we couldn't find someone who could act," Chie said as she added her sigh into the mix. "I bet a lot of kids are as disappointed as Teddie here."

The boys all nodded at her statement and stood in silence for a few moments, wondering who else they could get to replace the fallen actor.

"By the way, what happened to the original guy?" Chie asked. "What happened to him that we even need to find a replacement?"

"During that last show, he had to disappear through a trap door in the stage," Yosuke explained to her. "But, I guess he missed his mark and his foot turned inward as he fell through the door. Sounds like a really bad sprain, if you ask me."

"Ouch," Kanji winced. "That musta hurt like a mother…"

Just then, a tall, very thin girl passed by the group. "Hey, Seta!" The girl greeted and kept on walking.

"Hey, Ozawa," Souji held his hand up in greeting. Teddie suddenly hopped off his chair and followed the girl to give her a better welcome to the department store while the remaining three friends quickly snapped their faces towards Souji.

"Dude… how do you know her?" Yosuke asked with a strange look on his face.

"Who, Ozawa? I met her in drama… club…" Souji slapped a palm to his face. _Shit, of course they'll know she's part of the drama club! Gah, what are the odds?!_

Chie put on a most devilish grin. "Souji-kun, remember how you said that revenge can be sprung whenever?"

--

"Yuki-chan! Rise-chan! Nana-chan! You made it!"

The three girls arrived just as the sky was turning golden. Teddie bounded up to Nanako, now back in his bear suit and struck up a conversation with her. The older girls joined the rest of their friends by the food booth.

"Hey, where's Souji-senpai?" Rise asked while taking a few glances around the food court. Her eyes swept over the large, velvet curtain of the stage briefly before looking back at Teddie and Nanako.

"Oh, he got sent to do another job," Chie said as casually as possible, hiding a smirk behind her hand. Just then, Yosuke's cell phone rang and he called Teddie over to man the grill while he took the call.

"Wow, even Yosuke-senpai's working hard," Rise noticed. "I hope we get to see Souji-senpai work, too—I wanna see him in that Junes apron!"

Yukiko felt the corner of her mouth twitch slightly as she smiled. "Yeah, um… so, what did you guys call us over for that was so important?"

"We just thought you'd wanna watch tonight's play," Chie answered simply. "Can I getcha guys anything to eat?"

At her offer, Kanji tapped the counter of the food booth. "If Chie-senpai's payin', I'll have two steaks, some—"

"I'm not paying!" she yelled as Teddie grabbed a slab of beef to stick on the grill. "And don't you put that cow on the grill just yet, Teddie! Wait for Kanji-kun to pay first!"

As Kanji glumly pulled out his wallet, Yosuke returned with his phone in his hand and circled up his friends. "I just got off the phone with Souji, and he said that they need two more people to fill in for the play," he said in a hushed tone.

"Huh? What happened this time?" Chie asked.

"It turns out that the sprained ankle was actually broken, so they're staying at the hospital until the one guy gets a cast put on his leg. One guy was just a stagehand and the other two were the other main actors of tonight's play, and since those guys are stuck, they need two more replacements."

"Wait, doesn't that mean you need one more to replace the actor with the broken ankle?" Yukiko asked with some slight confusion.

"We already found a replacement for that guy earlier, so we just need two more to fill in for the princess and the bad guy," Yosuke clarified. Off to his right, Chie was hatching another wild plan of hers.

"Can't you do it, Yosuke-senpai?" Rise suggested. "Or maybe even Teddie, or Kanji, or—"

"I already told you to quit callin' me like you—" Kanji started to growl, but Rise quickly cut him off.

"What about Souji-senpai? I'll bet he'll be a great replacement!" She burst out with gleaming eyes.

"Uh, but he's already…" Kanji proceeded to explain, but Chie quickly covered up his sentence with her own.

"He's already got other things to work on, so he can't be the evil prince," she said, following it up with a nervous giggle. "Oh hey, Yukiko, Kanji-kun? Can you two come with me for a second?"

Chie spun her two friends around and shoved them forward with a hand on each of their backs. "Don't worry about finding replacements, you guys," she called over her shoulder to their remaining friends. "The three of us are on the lookout for the perfect princess and evil prince!"

As Rise and Yosuke stared after their friends, Teddie and Nanako were discussing what had ensued during the early afternoon.

"Then, what's gonna happen to the princess if no one's there to rescue her?" Nanako asked Teddie.

"Don't worry, Nana-chan! Teddie'll find a way to save the princess!" he whispered excitedly to her. "And Teddie'll teach that mean old prince a lesson he'll never forget!"

--

The sound of a grand orchestra exploded from the speakers that were hanging atop the stage, signaling the start of the play. The last few minutes of sunlight left a golden glow upon the town of Inaba, somehow adding a special something to the environment of the stage. The curtain may not have opened yet, but already the audience felt as though they were part of the show.

"Where are Chie-senpai and the others? They're gonna miss everything!" Rise wondered in a loud whisper to Yosuke. She had taken a seat closest to the food booth and was seated next to Nanako, who was anxiously sipping her drink.

"Where's Big Bro? I haven't seen him at all," she asked Rise.

"While we're at it, I wonder where Teddie disappeared off to," Yosuke mumbled to himself. "That bear's gonna find a major pay cut if I find him…"

The three looked back to the play and saw that a man was standing center stage wearing peasant-like clothes. They soon stopped vocalizing their wonders to listen to what he had to say.

"The West and East were waging war…" he began as a sorrowful harp accompanied him. "Draco, the West's great hero, thinks of his love, Maria. Is she safe? Is she waiting?"

As he walked off the stage the curtain rose, revealing a camp full of soldiers. Several men wearing purple uniforms were gearing up for battle as the music switched to a more empowering tone. Slowly, a figure in shining armor with a purple cape walked on stage and raised the visor of his helmet.

"It's Big Bro!" Nanako squealed happily in her seat as she flailed her legs in excitement.

"No way! Senpai looks so cool in that armor!" Rise also squealed next to her. The two girls were bonding wonderfully while Yosuke shook his head at them before watching as Souji took a deep breath to sing his lines.

"Oh Maria!

Oh Maria!

Please hear my voice!

How I long to be with you!"

With his song done, Souji strode around the stage, shouting commands to his men.

"What was up with those lyrics?" Yosuke grimaced. "Man, this play is definitely for kids…"

"Senpai was amazing! Who knew he could sing?!" Rise was practically melting after hearing Souji's tenor voice.

"He never sings at home, so even I didn't know he was that good!" Nanako said as she left her mouth hanging open. Souji lined his men up, ready to march off stage to a battle somewhere far off as the music turned to something to mirror their timed steps. He raised his sword, encouraging his men to do the same and led them through a powerful yell as they left the stage. The curtain closed soon after while the music transitioned from a military sound to a flute and clarinet duet that had an air reflecting a young woman's distress. The curtain opened once again, this time the scene being an elegant room inside a castle. A girl sat before a luxurious mirror, clad in a soft pink, European-style dress as a maid brushed her silky black hair.

"Yosuke-senpai, what's Yukiko-senpai's shadow doing on stage?!" Rise whispered to Yosuke in a panicked state.

"I don't think that's her shadow, but the real one dressed kinda like her shadow!" he whispered back, just as shocked as her. "Who the hell designed these costumes?!"

"M'lady, you look rather distraught," the maid said to a gloomy Yukiko. "Tonight is the grand ball to celebrate Prince Ralse's victory and your marriage to him! You can't go to a ball looking like this!"

"A victory for the East is no victory to me," Yukiko sighed as she folded her gloved hands in her lap. "I cannot love someone who has taken everything from me."

"His highness is a powerful man, and can surely restore all you have lost in the war," the maid replied as cheerfully as ever. "I'm sure that in due time, you will learn to love him."

The maid set the hair brush down and carefully set a tiara upon Yukiko's head. "Forget about that Draco. He cannot offer you anything that the prince can."

Yukiko stood up from her seat, her hands still clasped together as she looked at herself in the mirror. "A man like Prince Ralse has no love to offer me. He only lusts for power."

She left the stage, leaving the maid awestruck by the lack of respect of the young girl. The curtain fell once more while the song of the distressed maiden continued.

"Wow, Big Sis Yukiko looked so sad," Nanako said as sadly as Yukiko was on stage. "I hope Big Bro rescues her soon."

"Didn't we just see her a half an hour ago? How did she learn her lines so fast?" Rise directed her question to herself, having first-hand experience on how hard it is to memorize lines while under pressure.

The curtain rose as the somber song of a harp started up. With the sun fully set, the nighttime scene completed the aura of the darkened tower that loomed high above the top of the curtain. Yukiko appeared from the right side of the stage. As she wandered across the stage, the voice of the narrator floated above the harp.

"The forces of the West fell, and Maria's castle was taken. Prince Ralse of the East took her hand by force…But she never stopped yearning for Draco…"

Yukiko stepped towards the audience, looking troubled over her chat with the maid. She peered out over the sea of children and their parents with a pained look in her eyes.

"It's only a kids' play, but Yukiko-senpai's really good!" Rise whispered to no one in particular while Yukiko clutched her hands to her chest.

_Chie... If I survive tonight, I'm going to make you pay for this!_ With that thought in mind, Yukiko drew in her breath and let out her song.

"Oh my hero,

So far away now.

Will I ever see your smile?

Love goes away,

Like night into day,

It's just a fading dream…

I'm the darkness,

You're the stars.

Our love is brighter than the sun.

For eternity,

For me there can be,

Only you, my chosen one…

Must I forget you?

Our solemn promise?

Will autumn take the place of spring?

What shall I do?

I'm lost without you.

Speak to me once more!"

Yukiko turned around, her face bowed down to the ground as she headed for the tower when something shiny glinted out of the corner of her eye. She looked up and saw Souji dressed in knight's armor as he descended the stairs inside the tower. With a swish of his cape, he smiled at her and held his hand out to her.

"Come Maria! Follow my lead…" he said with a charming grin. _Why the heck is Yukiko-san here? Who arranged this?_

_Why is it Souji-kun? I thought he was busy with other work?_ Unable to hide her flushed cheeks, she took his hand as he led her through a simple waltz. Even though she was embarrassed at first, she quickly eased into the comfort of being on stage with Souji and even smiled.

"Man! Even her surprised look when her lover appears out of nowhere felt so real! How is she not in showbiz yet?!" The former pop idol beside Nanako was somewhat alarmed at the idea that her upperclassman might be a better actress than her, but at the same time, was enjoying the flow of the story that unfolded before her.

"Nah, I think that she was just surprised to see Seta up there," Yosuke snickered.

"Wouldn't they have run into each other backstage?" Rise argued without taking her eyes off the stage.

"You've got a point there," he replied as he fingered his cheek. "How did they _not _see each other…?"

With a final twirl, Souji let go of Yukiko. He grabbed the edge of his cape, and with a charming laugh, he swept his cape around him and disappeared in a cloud of smoke. When the smoke cleared, a bouquet of red roses was left in his place.

"Wow! How'd Big Bro do that?" Nanako asked as she tugged on Rise's arm.

"Um, you got me. Hey, Senpai, how'd Souji-senpai disappear like that?" Rise relayed the message to Yosuke.

"Trap doors and fog machines, that's all. Still, I hope he fell through the trap door without breaking anything—that's how the other guy broke his leg," Yosuke said thoughtlessly as he instilled a little panic into the younger girl.

"Don't worry, Nanako-chan!" Rise tried to reassure her. "Your Big Bro's a smart guy, so I'm sure he's the type that learns from other people's mistakes!

"At least I hope that he's okay," Rise mumbled to herself once Nanako felt better about the situation. Together, they glued their eyes to the stage as Yukiko picked up the bouquet and ascended the stairs to the balcony of the tower where she held the roses close to her heart.

"We must part now,

My life goes on.

But my heart won't give you up…"

As she sang this, she cast the bouquet away from her, a sorrowful smile on her face.

"Ere I walk away,

Let me hear you say,

I meant as much to you…

So gently,

You touched my heart.

I will be forever yours…

Come what may,

I won't age a day.

I'll wait for you, always…"

A shooting star fell in the background of the stage, and Yukiko closed her eyes and made a wish. When her eyes opened, a man dressed in fine red, green and gold clothes approached her.

"Prince Ralse is looking for a dance partner," the chancellor said to her. When he saw her expression fall, he added, "Leave the past behind! Our kingdom is adopting the spirit of the East!"

Yukiko watched as the chancellor left her on the tower. She took a step towards the stairs, but took one last look up at the sky before following him, her eyes now shimmering with hope before the curtain closed on the scene.

"Poor Big Sis Yukiko! She has to dance with that mean prince!" Nanako said subconsciously as she chewed on her straw. "Big Bro better hurry up and rescue her!"

The teens close by her couldn't help but laugh at how the young girl viewed them as their real selves instead of the characters they portrayed. The curtain soon was raised again, and a sort of wedding waltz was now playing as several couples danced on stage. The three opened their mouths wide when they saw Yukiko dancing with a green, red and gold-clad Chie.

"What the hell?!" Yosuke exploded with laughter when he saw who was playing the evil prince. "Aw man, this play just gets better and better!"

"Ch-Chie-senpai…?" Rise tried to hold back her own laughter, but couldn't help it—both Yukiko and Chie looked so displeased with having to dance onstage, not because it was with each other they were dancing with, but because they were both forced into the roles. By now, Nanako was so absorbed in the story that she was sitting on the edge of her seat wishing with Yukiko that Souji would hurry and rescue her.

--

As the wedding dance continued onstage, a certain blonde boy was planning a rescue of his own backstage. Teddie found a way to sneak into the costumes and picked out a fancy black coat with gold trim to wear over his frilly white shirt and black dress pants.

"Oh ho! A hero needs to be dashing in order to get the ladies to swoon over him," he grinned to himself. He looked around at the props, wondering what more he could use during his rescue mission when he spotted someone familiar.

"Ah hah! Teddie's got the perfect rescue plan!" The boy grabbed some spare rope and looped it around his waist. "Don't worry, Princess! Teddie's coming to save you!"

--

The music stopped abruptly and let out a dangerous roar. Everyone in the ball room halted their dance as an Eastern soldier ran onstage with his sword in hand and breathing hard.

"The survivors of the West attack!" he shouted to everyone.

"Impossible!" Chie gasped in her best man-voice. She pulled away from Yukiko and drew out her own sword just as soldiers in purple uniforms stormed in, countered by more soldiers of the East.

"Attack!" Chie yelled again as she held an arm out in front of Yukiko. Any Western soldier than approached her she blocked their attacks with her sword and kicked them away, edging Yukiko into a corner. As more soldier came on stage, a voice rang out.

"WAIT!"

Souji ran onstage, his appearance somehow stopping the soldiers in mid-fight. He lifted his visor and locked eyes with Yukiko's, urging her to run to his arms, but Chie stopped her and glared at Souji.

"Maria!" Souji sang in his tenor voice.

"Draco! I've waited so long. I knew you'd come!" Yukiko replied, her smile now a truly happy one.

Chie pulled a face like she wasn't pleased with their reunion and stepped in between them.

"Oh sh—Chie's gonna..." Yosuke quickly moved to shield Nanako's ears of the horrors of Chie's singing, but was too late. Instead of the sound of a dying rhinoceros, a familiar, rich baritone was produced from her mouth.

"Maria will finally have to become my queen!" Chie sang out beautifully, her sword now pointed at Souji. Behind her, Yukiko's hand flew to her mouth as she looked away while Souji stared at her in bewilderment.

"For the rest of my life I'll keep you near!" Souji sang out to Yukiko, who peeked back at him.

"It's a duel!" Chie held out the last syllable as Yukiko's knees buckled beneath her, one hand still on her mouth while the battle around them resumed.

"How does she do it? I really feel like Maria is despairing over her lover engaging in a duel with the prince," Rise asked herself. "Maybe I should ask her for some tips…"

Souji and Chie circled around as they swatted each other's swords away from themselves. Every now and then, he would catch glimpses of Yukiko still sitting on the floor with her head down.

_Damn, she's really good at her part. How does she do it? _He parried more attacks from Chie when he saw an Eastern soldier run at him with his sword aimed for his chest. At the last second, he moved out of the way and pushed the soldier with his free hand, shoving him towards one of his own soldiers to fight for him. _That was close! But damn, she must be a closet actress or something…_

Back in the corner of the dance floor, Yukiko would look up every now and then before hiding her face again to keep anyone from seeing her having another laughing fit. _How did Chie… pfffft… manage to sing like that? She's so… Manly!_ She looked up again and saw Kanji standing offstage holding a script in one hand and a microphone in the other. He was cheering Souji on, along with the children in the audience to stop the evils of Prince Ralse and save Maria.

"Why do you continue to fight, Draco?" Chie questioned as they continued their duel. "Can't you see? You've already lost!"

"So long as I continue to draw breath, I swear on my father's grave that I will defeat you!" Souji replied as he fought more aggressively. His advances became stronger, Chie having to take larger steps backwards to avoid his blade.

"Swear all you want! Your numbers are few, and I shall crush you easily!" Chie was soon had her back against the wall and their swords were in a deadlock. The two fought to shove their swords away from themselves to gain an advantage, but seeing that Souji was just that much stronger, Chie snuck her foot up to his stomach and kicked him away. He took several steps back as his visor snapped shut, a hand on his stomach where she had kicked him before smirking at her.

"I'll only die once I have your head!" He shouted without bothering to fix his helmet as Chie ran up to him with full force. Off to the side, Yukiko finally calmed down to the point that only a few giggles bubbled up as she got to her feet. She searched through the many soldiers until her eyes fell upon the duel between the prince and the knight.

_Can someone just hand me a fan so I can help finish this fight? _Still rooted to her spot on the stage, Yukiko's mind somehow fuzzed out and delved into other thoughts. _I guess it's kind of nice to have Souji-kun fight for me, even though it's just a play and Chie's the bad guy. If only Maria had Amaterasu, we could finish this quick…_

Her thoughts distracted her from the battle as someone came up from behind and grabbed onto her. Her scream filled the stage, stopping the fight and the music as the soldiers turned to see that someone had taken the princess hostage.

"Ha ha! Don't worry, Princess! I'm here to rescue you!" said the figure that had grabbed Yukiko. Recognizing the voice, Yukiko turned her head enough to see who her assailant was.

"Teddie?! What are you—"

"No no, Princess! Not Teddie, but Bear-ron von Fabuloso!" Teddie announced as energetically as possible.

_Hey, there can only be one fabulous one here and that's Kanji! And weren't you sick earlier?! _Souji stood there and tilted his head at the sight of Teddie trying to kidnap Yukiko. Chie, however, decided to take action.

"Bear-ron! Who are you to take away my bride?!" Chie demanded as she brandished her sword at Teddie.

"I'm the hero that's gonna save the princess!" He answered proudly. "Now if you excuse me… Kanji! Get us out of here!"

Everyone on stage looked to the side of the stage where Kanji threw his script and dropped his microphone to start pulling on the thick rope closest to him. With each tug, Teddie and Yukiko were raised off the stage thanks to the end of rope that Teddie had tied around his waist earlier.

"Teddie! Put me down!" Yukiko screamed as she tore at Teddie's hands around her stomach.

"Yuki-chan, stop! I might drop you if you—"

"Let her go, Teddie!" Chie ordered as she set her sword down. She held her arms out as she stood beneath her two friends who were now about ten feet in the air, ready to catch Yukiko if she fell. Yukiko continued to flail about, screaming at Teddie to put her down. Everyone watched in horror as Teddie lost his grip around Yukiko's waist, causing her to fall on top of Chie with a loud thud. Yukiko sat up, mostly unharmed, but Chie was knocked out cold.

Dazed, Yukiko let out a small moan as she held a hand to her head. No one else could think of any other way to react to the turn of events, so Souji ran over to her and helped her to her feet.

"The evil prince has been defeated! Maria has vanquished the tyrant and peace is restored to the land!" He shouted as he put an arm around Yukiko. Not knowing what else they should do, the soldiers in purple raised their swords and cheered as well.

"Just a darn minute!"

Up above them, Teddie was struggling with the rope knotted around his waist. "Kanji! Put me down!"

The big teen lowered the boy slowly to the ground, not wanting to crush Chie again. When Teddie finally undid the rope, he picked up Chie's sword and pointed it at Souji. "I challenge you to a duel!"

_He challenges me to a duel? But Teddie… I am your Sensei! How can you do that to me?!_ It was then that Souji realized that the visor of his helmet had been covering his face for most of the duel, possibly explaining why Teddie did not recognize him. He made a motion to raise his visor, but Yukiko stopped him.

"The winner of this duel shall be the winner of my heart!" Yukiko announced for all to hear as she gave her temple one last rub. Souji's eye widened at her sudden gamble but was amused by it. Without raising his visor, he turned to Teddie and pointed his own sword at him.

"I accept your challenge, Bear-ron," he answered as he removed his arm from Yukiko's shoulders. "Show me what you've got!"

Teddie winked at Souji before running at him. A new song started to play, one more suited to a circus than an epic battle such as this as the two exchanged blows.

"I don't remember the story going anything like this," Yosuke said as he stared at the two fighting on the stage. "Oh well, it's going better than I remembered it…"

The shrill voices of children from the crowds were cheering equally for Draco and the Bear-ron, giving rise to both boys' determination to win.

"You can do it, Draco!"

"Go, Bear-ron!"

"We're rooting for you!"

"Hey, Yosuke-senpai? Is this part of the play?" Rise asked as the audience continued to cheer.

"No way! Draco's supposed to kill the prince and he and Maria are all happy and junk. Why do you ask?" Yosuke made himself a bag of popcorn and started munching on it.

"Teddie said he wanted to save the princess," Nanako explained as she sipped her drink. "He promised to save her since he thought there wasn't going to be a hero."

"What?! But that means he might hurt Souji-senpai!" Rise exclaimed. The three looked back to the stage and saw that Teddie was really giving it his all.

_Dammit! How do you kill a guy without actually killing him? Especially when he's this serious?!_ Souji was doing what he could to keep the fight up without hurting his friend. Yukiko also noticed this and looked for some way to help while Teddie swung his sword left, right, left, right at Souji as hard as he could. Souji could only back up to keep himself from getting hurt as well, but also made sure he got a few swings in, as well.

_I need some way to help Souji-kun or either of them might get hurt! Come on, what can we…_ Yukiko then noticed a lever next to Kanji that was labeled "Trap Door" and tried to catch Souji's attention without making it obvious that she was playing favorites. At long last, she was able to grab his attention and shifted her eyes from Souji to the lever, and he seemed to get the idea. He continued to let Teddie push him back, blocking his attacks as best as he can.

"Bear-ron, from whom do you wish to save the princess from?" Souji asked in a deep voice.

"From bad guys like you! Why do you take princesses away from their homes where they're happy?"

"How should I know? I'm not the bad guy you're looking for," Souji answered.

"You're not? Then, who are you?"

Souji looked down briefly to see where the trap door was and saw that he was standing right on top of it. _Great, now I just need to lure him onto it and I can ride away off into the horizon with Girlfriend._

"I'm just like you—here to rescue a damsel in distress from an evil tyrant like that one," Souji said as he pointed with his free hand to Chie. For the moment, Teddie backed away to put some distance between himself and Souji to look at where Souji indicated. While Teddie busied himself with trying to find where Souji pointed, Souji looked around and saw that Yukiko was standing by the lever and made a motion to activate it, letting him know that she was ready.

A gasp escaped Teddie when he saw who was lying on the ground. "Ch… Chie-chan?! You killed Chie-chan?!"

Souji looked up and saw fury in the boy's eyes. "What? No, I didn't—"

Before he could say much, he looked up and saw Teddie glaring at him with his sword raised.

"For Chie-chaaaaaaaaaan!" He screamed at the top of his lungs as he ran full force at Souji. Souji could only brace himself for impact when he felt himself falling. Smoke surrounded him briefly before he felt himself hit the ground with his back, the wind knocked out of his chest.

_Did I just die? Did Teddie seriously kill me with a cheap, plastic sword?_ Souji groaned as he sat up, his chest tense from impact. One look around let him know that he was under the stage.

_How'd I end up…Oh, the trap door! Girlfriend must've hit it before Teddie killed me! Awesome!_

From the stage above him, Souji could hear Yukiko's heels tapping as she walked to the center of the stage where Teddie should be after striking Souji down. "Lord Bear-ron, you have won my heart! Allow me to repay you!"

_Repay you?! There's only one way that bear wants you to… oh no…_ Scrambling to his feet, Souji's armor clanked loudly as he ran up the stairs that led him backstage. He dodged various actors and stagehands and finally made it to the left side of the stage where Kanji was. The bigger boy turned around to see what the noise was when he saw Souji right behind him.

"Senpai! 'Sup? You made it just in time to see—"

Souji peered out at the sight behind Kanji and saw Teddie and Yukiko near the front of the stage, Yukiko bending down a little with her lips puckered. He could hear the children in the audience cheering, "Kiss! Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!" as Teddie eagerly waited with his eyes closed and lips also puckered. Off to the side, Souji looked at the various cords and ropes close to him and yanked hard on one.

_Please work, please work!_ He silently prayed as he watched the curtain fall right between Teddie's and Yukiko's faces, cutting them off from their kiss. Teddie was left out in front of the curtain where the audience let out a moan of disappointment while Yukiko was hidden behind it, allowing Souji to breathe a sigh of relief. He grabbed the microphone that Kanji had set down early and flicked it on.

"And so, Maria bid her rescuer adieu to begin the unification of both the West and East kingdoms. Under her rule, the new kingdom flourished with peace for decades. As the years passed, she eventually married the Bear-ron, but never forgot her one true love."

Applause erupted from the other side of the curtain and Souji and Yukiko smiled at each other. Kanji joined them in their smiles and congratulated them on a successful show.

--

Hours later, Souji was back at home and was finishing tucking Nanako into bed when his phone rang.

"Hello?" he said as he left Nanako's room.

"Souji-kun? It's me."

"Oh hey, what's up?" His voice lightened when he heard Yukiko's voice.

"Nothing, really. Just wanted to say hi, since I barely got to see you all week."

Souji tip-toed up the stairs to his room and sank on the couch. "Yeah, looks like we both were pretty busy this week, huh?"

"Mhmm. We've had customers coming and going all week, and by the time my parents let me off work, I was too tired to do anything. Sorry, were you lonely?"

"Me? Lonely?" He put on a voice that made it sound like he was hurt by her words. "Okay, maybe a little…I am, however, a bit bummed when I learned that Nanako-chan was cheering for Teddie and not me!"

"Aw, poor Boyfriend! If it'll make you feel better, I missed you, too."

Somehow, her admitting she missed him made Souji's face burn red. _She'd better be as red as me._ "Anyway, care to explain how you got mixed up in the play?"

"You don't know? Yosuke-kun got a call saying that the actors for Maria and Prince Ralse had to wait for the doctor to put a cast on Draco's leg. It wasn't just a sprain, but an actual break in his ankle. Chie then pushed Kanji-kun and me to be the replacements."

"I already knew about the guy's leg, but I thought you'd be too busy at the inn to attend the play. But man, Chie-chan got you, too…" Souji sighed. "How come she ended up as the prince and not Tatsumi?"

"He was too tall for the costume. They were out of time to find anyone else, so they just had Chie fill in."

_Karma's a bitch, isn't it, Chie-chan?_ With that in mind, Souji snickered softly to himself.

"Hm? What's so funny, Souji-kun?"

"Oh, nothing. I just found it funny that she tried pushing you two on stage and she ended up on stage herself," he answered with a grin. "Still, I can't believe Teddie sometimes."

"He surprised me, too, but it was still fun," she finished with a giggle.

"Yeah, it was fun, but when they asked us to perform it again, I'd had enough."

"At least you had more time to memorize your lines," she grumbled.

"True, but you weren't the one who was nearly killed by 'Bear-ron von Fabuloso'!"

"I almost burst out laughing when I heard his name! I started picturing Kanji-kun in my head!"

Her laughter on the phone made him chuckle along. "Good thing you didn't, or else the audience would've questioned why Maria was laughing at getting kidnapped."

"I guess so. But Maria was lucky that Draco came to save her from Prince Ralse."

"If I recall, our version of the play had the Bear-ron save Maria. Maria then saved Draco from getting skewered by the Bear-ron and well, Prince Ralse didn't get to do squat.

"Speaking of the prince, how's Chie-chan? You _did_ fall on her…"

"Sh-She's fine! Just a slight headache from… from when her head hit the stage…" Yukiko's voice trailed off into a more timid tone. In Souji's mind, he pictured Yukiko with a guilt-ridden face, poking her index fingers tips together.

_Cute. Dang, why is everything about you so cute, Girlfriend?_ "Sounds like she could've used one of these," Souji mumbled idly as he produced the shrine charm from his pocket.

"One of what?"

"The charm you gave me. It's kept me safe all week," he replied while fiddling with the small pouch in his hand. "Especially tonight, when Teddie tried to run me through."

"Oh, I'm sure it wouldn't have hurt that bad if he did get you," she giggled again. "You had armor on. Speaking of which, I remember hearing a loud metallic noise after saying that I wanted to repay Teddie. You were running to stop us, weren't you?"

"Ah, well… I…" _Crap, she caught me! _

"Souji-kun, were you _jealous_ that I was going to kiss Teddie?"

"Hell no!" He nearly shouted as he sat up straighter in his seat, then quickly hunched his shoulders and said in a low tone, "I-I mean, heck no…"

The laughter on her end caught him off guard. "I was only going to give him a peck on the cheek. But I kind of liked the ending you made, even though it was a bit sad. It was cute that she married the Bear-ron, but I still kind of wanted Maria to be with Souji-kun."

"Don't you mean 'Draco'?" Souji pointed out.

"O-Of course! Yes, I meant Draco…"

He smiled devilishly. "I bet you're blushing right now."

"No I'm not! Why is it that every time we talk you always have to embarrass me?!"

"All I said was that I thought you were blushing," he said coolly. "It was just an observation from the way your voice sounded."

"Well, is it so strange for it to sound like I wanted to be with you?"

It was Souji's turn to blush. "Uh, no… I don't think so…"

"Souji-kun, are you blushing?"

"Since when do you turn the tables on people?"

A short giggle, and then came, "I learned from the best, Boyfriend. I even got to practice on Chie a little."

"Oh? Since when?"

Yukiko explained the time when Chie tried getting her to admit she liked Souji, then turned the conversation around by saying that Chie might like Yosuke.

"See, when I did that to her, she tried to give me a critical hit," Souji moaned. "I was just lucky that Yosuke was there to stop her in time. Because she didn't get to hit me, she made me take the role of Draco!"

"I see, so when Maria's part opened up, she put me up to it so that we might get drawn together. She's getting to be pretty devious when it comes to you and me."

"That is one dangerous bestie you've got there," he sighed while rubbing his palm over his eyebrow.

"'Bestie'? What's that?"

"Best friend, BFF, soul sistah—"

"Okay, I get it! Really, you're so different when we're with everybody else…"

"If it bothers you, I'll go back to being cool, calm, attract-all-the-girls-and-your-neighbor's-mom Souji that everybody knows and loves."

Only the sound of his fan whirring in the corner could be heard in the silence that followed. "Uh, you still there? Hello? Yukiko-san?"

"I'm still here, just… that was a little more out there than I anticipated," she said nervously.

"Sorry, temporary insanity. It's been a long day, and I guess a long week for the two of us. Maybe we should get some sleep so we'll be okay for the festival tomorrow."

"Yeah, that sounds good. I'll see you tomorrow, Boyfriend!"

"See ya, Girlfriend!"

They both hung up, and Souji prepared for bed. As he spread out his futon, a thought crossed his mind.

_Now that I think about it, we still haven't gone on an actual date yet. Hey, maybe if I'm lucky, Chie-chan might try to split everybody up and stick me and Girlfriend together at the festival. Ooh, I like that idea…_

Smiling to himself, Souji turned out the light and dove into his futon, humming the "Captain Bastard" song he had made sometime during the week.

_Still need to find another rhyme for 'bastard'. Let's see… Dastard… Plastered… Mastered…_

--

The day of the festival came, but to Souji's dismay, Teddie stole all the girls, leaving the boys to saunter off in a different direction. For the rest of summer vacation, Yukiko became increasingly busy at the inn and Nanako had asked Souji for help with her homework. Bumping into each other was a rarity, and phone calls became scarce. The most that they saw of each other was when Yukiko and Chie stopped by to help Nanako out with her homework. As much as they wanted to, they could not show any signs of affection while Chie was around. Even Nanako seemed a little tense, whether from getting so much help for her schoolwork or from wanting to support her Big Bro's relationship but not being able to show it.

Soon, summer vacation came to a close and school was to resume the following day. Souji was sulking from not being able to at least take Yukiko out on a date—after all, that's what the summer is for, right?

_I wasn't able to ask her out, but I finally have enough money for you-know-what…_

--

Author's note: Hey, sorry it's been awhile since the last update. I've been really busy with school, in addition to my need for rest from writing so much. At least this time, I didn't need a whole year as mentioned in my profile.

If you're wondering, the "Captain Bastard" song is basically the "Captain Planet" theme song (sorry, don't know who created the show, but credit goes to them).

Also, credit to Square Enix and Nobuo Uematsu for the opera from Final Fantasy VI. I chose to use the original English lyrics from the SNES because that's what I grew up on. I'm aware that the GBA version had better lyrics, but the SNES version just hits closer to home for me. Heck, I even named my cat after one of the opera characters. Betcha can't guess who…

Oh, so, just to let you know, I may not be able to write another new chapter for awhile. I still have to figure out a lot of stuff about it, plus I've got school to think about, so it could be another couple of months until then.

I'm going to be really honest and say that this was probably the most difficult chapter I've ever written. The other chapters followed the storyline of the game, so this one was basically a free-for-all where I had to figure everything out. You'd think with that kind of freedom it would be easier to write something, but really, that was just hard for me. I started thinking of just scrapping this chapter completely, but then again, it actually came out better than I hoped.

Thank you for waiting patiently and for sticking with my fic, even after that long wait. It's really encouraging to see you guys are still interested!


	17. Chapter 17

The youth of the small town of Inaba awoke reluctantly on a sunny Thursday morning, growling and grumbling inaudible utterances about the first day of school. Many slumped back into bed after pounding their alarm clocks to sleep while others were resisting the wake up calls of their parents and siblings. Among all these students was a girl who was somewhat excited for the resume of school—it meant that she would be able to see a certain someone that appeared in her dreams the night before.

Yukiko Amagi was already up and dressed in her summer uniform, her short-sleeved, red sweater neatly adding her usual touch of personality to her black and white uniform. Practically skipping down the hallways of the inn, she greeted any guests and maids she passed by, eventually stopping by the main entrance to place her school bag by the door. On the way to the kitchen for breakfast, she nearly ran into her father, who was soon joined by her mother.

"Someone seems excited for school today," her mother said with a smile. "Or perhaps you had a good dream last night?"

"A little bit of both," Yukiko smiled back as the trio went on their way for a family breakfast.

"And what was your dream about?" her father asked, feeding off of her good energy.

Yukiko nervously began stroking her hair. "Oh, nothing, I can't really remember much, except that it left me feeling happy this morning."

The truth was, she had dreamt that she had gone on a date with her boyfriend, Souji, without anyone interrupting or threatening to break them apart. They were free to walk about, hand-in-hand while laughing about nothing.

Of course, she couldn't say anything to her parents about her dream, let alone the fact that she was dating someone. As much as she wanted to let everyone know about them, she had promised to keep their relationship a secret due to a misunderstanding. Souji, being a popular guy in school, was rumored to be dating Ai Ebihara, one of the most popular girls in school. Each had many jealous admirers who were more than unhappy to see them together, so much so that they dumped a big bucket of abuse upon both teens. After all that Souji had gone through, he did not want Yukiko to suffer the same fate. To keep each other safe, they have decided to continue denying that they had feelings for one another, except to a few special people that know their little secret.

As they were being served breakfast, Yukiko couldn't help but wonder if they would ever be able to enjoy each other's company as freely as they did in her dream. The whole summer went by, and they weren't able to see each other as much as she would have liked. Late night chats on their cell phones made her feel as though Souji was half a world away, when really they were still within the boundaries of the small town.

"Yukiko? Did you hear anything of what I just said?"

The gentle yet stern voice of her father returned Yukiko back to the breakfast table, making her blink a few times before answering. "I'm sorry, what was it you said, Father?"

Takashi Amagi sipped his tea, his daughter imitating him. "Your mother and I were just talking about whether or not you found someone suitable to your tastes."

Both parents' eyes widened while Yukiko started choking on her tea. She coughed violently, suffering pains from struggling to breathe and the scalding liquid scorching her throat. One of the maids came up and patted the young Amagi several times on her back in an attempt to help clear her throat. When she had recovered enough, she thanked the maid.

"Thank you, Kasai-san," she said softly as she wiped pained tears from her eyes, still coughing a bit. The middle-aged maid squeezed her shoulder before leaving to take care of other chores.

"Are you all right?" Her mother asked, her eyes clear with worry. Yukiko coughed into the back of her hand, waving with her other hand to indicate that she was fine.

"As I was saying," Takashi continued while his daughter slowly calmed down, "We were thinking that a girl of your age should have a few admirers already."

"A few…admirers?" She cast her eyes down to her food, unable to believe that even her parents were touching on the subject of her love life.

"When I was your age, many boys would come up to me and confess their feelings," Her mother added. "I can't imagine my own daughter not being able to get a single love confession…"

"I-It's not that no one's confessed, but more like…" Yukiko shoved thoughts of Souji aside, trying to think of the excuse she had come up with before. "…More like, I just don't really feel a connection with any of them."

Takashi cocked an eyebrow and nodded. "I see. Like mother, like daughter, I suppose."

His words made her raise her face to him. "What?"

"What he means is that even I took awhile to choose someone I liked," her mother explained. "Of course, eventually I fell for your father after our parents matched us up."

Yukiko didn't like the direction that this talk was going and started nibbling on her breakfast. "So, what you're saying is, even if I find someone I like, you're going to match me with someone else?"

Sensing the darkened tone in her voice, Sachiko started to speak until her husband held up a hand to cut in. "Not quite. We have agreed that if you find someone that we approve of, we will consider him."

Their daughter froze with the tips of her chop sticks stuck in her mouth. She shifted her eyes towards the two of them, her mother grinning and her father taking another sip of tea. Yukiko puckered her lips around her chop sticks, still not fully grasping what she had been told. When it finally did register, she stared wide-eyed from parent to parent and without removing her chop sticks she said softly, "Really?"

"Your mother said that, since you'll be taking over management of the inn at such a young age, she wants you to at least have the chance of finding someone for yourself," her father answered with a sigh. "I'd rather that we did the matching ourselves, but if you do find someone, please refrain from doing anything that would mark you as a…well, a loose woman."

"Father! I would never…" The young Amagi felt the heat swirl about her face at his implication.

"I'm sure we raised our daughter better than that, Dear," Sachiko frowned at her husband.

"I'm not accusing her of being like that, just reminding her that there are lines that shouldn't be crossed," he said in his defense. "She has to remember that as the future manager of our inn, she has an image to uphold!"

Yukiko stood up from the table and dabbed a napkin to her mouth before smiling. "Father, if I was a 'loose woman' as you say, then I must have learned it from someone. And since Mother had just mentioned that she had taken awhile to like someone, she mustn't be the one I learned it from."

Takashi's mouth fell open at her sharp words as she thanked the maids for the meal and left. Off to his right, Sachiko was giggling into her hand.

"If I recall, the man I fell in love with was a bit of a playboy back in the day," she said with a grin.

"If I wasn't such a playboy, you wouldn't have been as interested," Takashi managed to choke out after getting over the shock of Yukiko's final say. "And it's different for a man to be a playboy and a woman being loose."

"Yes, that double standard isn't very fair, is it? But if you hadn't been such a smooth talker, I probably wouldn't have been very interested in you," she replied. "I'm glad you agreed to let Yukiko choose someone for herself."

She looked over to her husband to see him prodding his rice with his chop sticks. "With the way she spoke to me just now, I wouldn't be surprised if she ends up having to rely on us to find her a husband," he muttered bitterly. "Who does she think she is, calling _me_ a '_loose woman'_…"

"You started it, dear, and I have complete confidence in her that she'll find a good one," Sachiko smiled and nodded towards Kasai-san, who grinned back and returned her nod.

...

_Maybe I shouldn't have said that._

Passing through a neighborhood on the way to school, Yukiko was worrying that she had gone too far in talking back to her father. Around her, other students heading in her direction were discussing their summer vacations with friends and complaining about having to return to school so soon. Bits and pieces were also about how the murderer of a fellow classmate and celebrity was caught, but Yukiko didn't care for any of these topics. She scanned the students and spotted a familiar silver-haired boy walking several paces in front of her, his school bag tucked under an arm and a hand shoved into his pocket. Yukiko remembered her talk with her parents about being able to choose someone for herself and sped up her walk when someone called to her from behind.

"G'mornin', Yukiko," Chie greeted with a sleepy grin. "What're you rushing to class for?"

"Nothing, really," she replied uneasily as she shifted her eyes back to Souji. "I was afraid I was running a little late, was all."

Chie didn't quite believe her and propped herself up on her toes, looking for something that her friend would be in a hurry for. Thanks to her short stature, she couldn't see Souji or anyone else that was worthy of chasing after and gave up her search.

"Anyway," Chie started, tying her green track jacket tighter around her waist, "You wanna grab something to eat after school? I owe you a lot for helping me out with the homework."

"Yeah, we could do that," she said with a slight trailing of her voice. _She didn't see him, did she? But, can't I just say that I was rushing to catch up with a friend?_

"Great! Then, you pick where we eat, 'cause I'm still…" Chie was cut off by an overpowering yawn. "Ah, you get the point!"

The two girls continued on their way to school quieter than usual, due to Chie barely being awake. It didn't bother Yukiko, since she just wanted to get through the day without any accusations from her best friend about her and Souji. At the school gate, they eventually caught up to Souji, who seemed a bit happy to see them.

"Mornin'," Chie said, suddenly more awake.

"Good morning," Yukiko also greeted.

"Morning, you two," Souji said, looking from one girl to the other. "So, how're you two doing?"

Chie sighed and pulled a face like she was about to cry. "Summer vacation's over already."

At that moment, Yosuke joined them and laughed. "Yo guys. I got lost on my way here."

"The vacation was pretty long," Yukiko said, thinking about all those times that she and Souji could have gone on a date but never had a chance.

"Not THAT long. Sheesh…" Chie grunted.

The four of them turned to head inside the school when they were approached by a small, scrawny boy with a blue cap.

"Good morning," he said as he rested a hand on his hip.

"Y-You…!" Yosuke gasped. "You're that, uh…pint-sized detective!"

The small boy gritted his teeth at Yosuke. "I beg your pardon! My name is Naoto. Please, don't give people bizarre nicknames you make up on the spot."

Yukiko cocked her head to the side. "Um… You know this is a high school, right?"

This seemed to agitate the detective further, but he seemed to just ignore it. "My cooperation with the police has come to an end. However, there are aspects of the case with which I remain unconvinced. There are some family-related issues as well, so I've decided to stay here for the present. From today forth, I'll be a first-year at your high school. And I felt that I should at least introduce myself to you all. I trust that our relations will be cordial, Senpai."

_The case? I thought that was all over and done with weeks ago!_ Yukiko shifted her eyes over to Souji, who didn't seem to look concerned at all.

It looked as though he wasn't the only one that wasn't concerned about the murder case when Chie blurted out, "Senpai…? That detective boy's… our underclassman?"

The four senpai followed Naoto into the school, separating to their assigned shoe lockers just inside the school building. Yukiko went to her locker on the farthest wall on the right while her friends went to the inner rows. Chie's and Yosuke's voices traveled to her ears as they griped about the things they didn't get to do over the summer. She silently agreed with them both that she also had something she wanted to do over the summer as she produced her school shoes from her bag. Slipping her feet out of her normal shoes, she recalled the last day of school before summer vacation and how she had run out into the rain still wearing her white school shoes. She had managed to scrub off the mud that stuck to them but still had to use a special whitener to restore the whiteness.

With the school shoes now on her feet, she picked up her outside shoes and pulled open her locker. A tiny gasp escaped her when she saw a small white envelope propped up against the right side of the locker. Yukiko watched as her hand reached in and took the note, her other hand followed closely to fill the newly vacated locker with her shoes. She stood there staring at the note for a few moments, finally removing her hand from inside her locker to open the envelope. A plain white paper was folded neatly inside, and once it was opened all it said was, "_Meet me on the roof at lunch."_

She turned the note over looking for anything she might have missed. She peered into the envelope and checked her locker again, but there was no other indication of who could have left the note.

_What should I do? It would be rude to not respond, and I can't tell them that I'm already with Souji-kun._ Yukiko was deep in thought, trying to find a way to get around the situation when Chie called to her form the stairs.

"Hey, Yukiko? C'mon, you're gonna be late!"

At Chie's call, Yukiko clutched the note to her chest to hide it from her friend. "I'll be right there, Chie!"

She peered over her crimson shoulder to see if Chie had left for class. Once she had seen that she had gone, Yukiko took one last look at the note before shoving it into her bag. As she shut her locker and headed up the stairs, she took no notice of the silver-haired boy that had seen everything.

...

In the stifling classrooms, students and teachers alike fought the urge to deviate from schoolwork, although both parties did a poor job of showing it. While teachers explained the lectures in a dull drone (if they tried hard enough at all) very few students heard little more than a dull buzzing. From classroom to classroom, students were laying their heads down on their notebooks and falling asleep, comforted with the blanket of heat that was the humidity as they drifted off. Others that did not find that same comfort in the heat doodled mindlessly around their notes while others tucked their hands under their desks and texted friends that either sat a seat away or a few classrooms down the hall.

There was also the handful of students who paid attention to the teachers and took excellent notes. This time, Yukiko was not in that group. On any ordinary day she would be writing detailed notes, looking up occasionally to eye the teacher for a bit before scribbling some more, but today she could hardly focus on the speaker. Even with the teacher's fluffy white hair, round, thick glasses, red bowtie clashing against his orange sweater vest and talking hand puppet made in his image, Yukiko could not stop thinking about the note she had found earlier that morning. She made multiple attempts to write down bits and pieces from the lecture, but halfway through a thought her pencil would stop moving and her thoughts would get sucked back to the plain little note in her bag.

_This isn't the first time I've received a note like this, so why am I so worried?_ The girl in red sat staring blankly at her empty notebook page, the sound of the teacher's puppet's lecture competing with the sound of Chie's gentle snore to reach Yukiko's ears. To keep from appearing nervous, she moved her toes furiously inside her shoes, a habit she had developed when she was younger to maintain a more proper look, but it did little to ease the anxiety that was preventing her from focusing on schoolwork.

The lunch bell finally rang, and the students slowly awoke from their morning naps. Yukiko spun in her seat to face her three friends, not at all surprised to see that Chie had fallen asleep with her face laying sideways on her notebook with a large wet stain pooling about her mouth from where she had drooled. Over to Yukiko's right, she saw Souji close his notebook and let out a sigh. Behind him, Yosuke stretched his arms upwards and yawned.

"I thought lunch would never come," Yosuke said with a sleepy grin. He looked over to Chie and his grin grew even bigger when he saw that she was still snoring soundly. He pulled out his cell phone from his pocket and started to get up from his seat, but thought better of it and held his phone out to Souji.

"You're closer," he said bluntly. "Take a picture for me, will ya?"

Souji just sat there staring indifferently at the phone, agitating Yosuke. He then held out his own hand as though he wanted payment.

"Aw, come on! It's just one picture! All you're doing is pressing a button!"

Souji kept his hand stretched out, eyeing the desperate teen with a somewhat uncaring look.

"Fine, I'll pay you fifty yen—"

"Not enough cash."

"The hell? It's just one picture! You gotta take it for me!"

A small giggle escaped from the sleeping Chie as she turned her face more to the left, giving the boys a clearer shot of her face. She smiled without opening her eyes, and Yosuke knew he absolutely had to have a picture. He slowly got up from his seat, walked over to the left side of Souji's desk (possibly for protection) and leaned over his friend's desk with his arm stretched out, his phone poised to take a picture. A small but powerful flash burst from the phone, causing Chie to stir. She blinked a few times before sitting up, her face covered with drool.

"Huh? Wha? Wha-Wha-Wha-What jus'…did I miss something?"

Yosuke quickly shot another picture with a full view of his friend's drool-covered face and darted back into his seat, but that second photo proved to be a huge mistake. Chie was awake enough to comprehend that she had been caught looking ridiculous again and that Yosuke had something to blackmail her with.

"Yosuke…" She growled angrily. "You'd better delete those pictures or else!"

"Pictures?" He said dumbly. "What pictures? I didn't take any pictures."

Chie wiped her face with her hand and flicked saliva in his direction, accidentally getting a few drops on Souji. "Souji-kun, did he take a picture of me?"

Souji sat there and shook his head. With that answer, Yosuke let out a sigh of relief.

"See? Seta wouldn't lie—"

"He took two pictures of you."

"What the hell, you bastard? We're supposed to be—"

Yosuke was cut off by Chie's sudden cry of rage. He quickly jumped out of his seat just as she was sidling past Souji's desk.

"Delete those pictures!"

"Hell no!"

"Then gimme your phone and I'll do it for you!"

"No way! You're gonna break it!"

"If you don't, I'll break something else that's more valuable!"

The two were running circles around the middle row of desks while everyone watched, wondering what the "married couple" was fighting about so early in the semester. Still seated in the middle of the row, Souji and Yukiko watched on, just as amused as everyone else.

"Sorry, Brosuke," Yukiko heard Souji mutter. "As important as the 'Bro Code' is, I'd rather not be on her bad side again."

Yukiko let out a small giggle. "It's a good thing you learned that over the break."

Souji turned to look at her. "It wasn't that hard to learn, but I guess it makes for good entertainment for everyone else if he keeps this up."

They watched their friends complete another lap around the desks, still yelling things at the top of their lungs. After another lap, Yukiko asked Souji, "Since they're going to be like this for awhile, do you want something from the cafeteria? I'm planning on getting myself some curry bread."

"Yeah, curry bread sounds good. You want me to come along?"

She blinked. "Um…no, it's okay. I'll be fine. I'd better hurry, or there won't be any left!"

She quickly got up from her seat and started for the door, almost running into an oncoming Yosuke before rushing out the door.

...

Up on the third floor, Yukiko stood in the stairwell leading to the door to the roof. She placed a flat palm against the door, her heart racing as she wondered who was up there waiting for her and what she should say. Even though this wasn't the first time she had rejected someone (most of the time she didn't even know they were asking her out, and even if she did remember, she often forgot soon after) she still couldn't help but feel bad for saying no.

She opened the door to the roof and was welcomed by thick, muggy heat that quickly made her feel her clothes begin to stick to her skin. Just beyond the door was a short walkway that opened to the left to a larger opening, leading to an area where students can sit and eat lunch. Large solar panels were set behind a short wall that students often sat, and a chain link fence surrounded the area.

Taking a step beyond the threshold, Yukiko kept the door open with a hand as she peered out over the edge of the school roof. With a sigh, she shifted her eyes to the left to try to see if anyone was there waiting for her.

_Maybe they're not there yet,_ she thought, hoping that whoever it was that had called her out there would be a no-show. She had only stood there in the humidity for a few seconds and already her hand had become slick with sweat, the door almost slipping out of her grasp. Readjusting her grip, she stepped a little further from the door to get a better look around the corner of the small building containing the stairwell. From that angle, Yukiko could see a tall male student with wavy brown hair standing with his back to her. His white uniform shirt was tucked neatly into his uniform pants held up by a light brown leather belt, and his wavy hair shook slightly as he shifted his stance.

_No…I still don't know what to say…_

Yukiko stood with the door still in her hand, unsure of what to say to the boy. _If I say that I'm not interested, he might end up being the persistent type and that could end up like that criminal boy. But if I tell him I already have someone I like, he might tell everyone. What should I do?_

Before she could settle on an answer, a strong breeze blew atop the building, the door slipping from her sweaty hand and shutting with a loud bang. Yukiko was too surprised at the noise to utter a sound, and when she looked back to the boy, she saw that he was looking at her and smiling.

"Hey, you made it!" he said in a welcoming voice. He waved her over, and obediently Yukiko walked over to him.

"Hello," she said unsurely, unable to look the boy directly in the face. "Are you the one who…?"

He flashed her a hurt look. "Yukiko-chan, don't you remember me? Our mothers are friends and business associates! We've known each other since we were in junior high!"

Yukiko lifted her eyes to examine his face and realized she knew who he was. "Tatsuo…Kirishima-senpai? It really _is _you! How've you been?"

"All right! You _do_ remember me!" Kirishima said happily. "I've been good, just been busy learning the family business. Who knew tea sets were so fascinating?"

"I remember you used to complain that they were boring," Yukiko laughed. "It's strange, isn't it? We attend the same school, yet we hardly ever see each other."

"We both have our family businesses to tend to, so it's understandable," he replied. "Plus, I've been busy with college exams, so I hardly get any free time anymore."

"That's right! I forgot that seniors have college entrance exams to study for! But, if you're so busy, why did you call me out here?"

Kirishima quickly fell silent, the smile on his face fading slightly. "Actually, the reason why I asked you here was…"

He hesitated, and Yukiko shifted uncomfortably to her usual stance with her weight on one leg and her arms held behind her back. "I was wondering…do you already have someone you like, Yukiko-chan?"

Her eyes swept from side to side, as if it would help her find an answer. "To tell the truth…I…"

She let her eyes play upon his face briefly, seeing his eyebrows were raised expectantly. _If it's Kirishima-senpai, I'm sure he'll understand. He's not the type of guy who would be so selfish…_

Yukiko straightened herself up. "Kirishima-senpai, I actually have someone that I care about deeply."

He blinked in surprise. "Really? That's great! Who's the lucky guy?"

Looking at him, she couldn't see the disappointment he hid beneath his smile. "Well, he just moved here recently…"

Taking the hint that she did not want to say who it was, Kirishima simply smiled more warmly. "It's okay, I'm sure you have your reasons as to why you can't say."

Yukiko started to stroke her bare arm as she felt her face heat up. "I'm sorry, Senpai."

"Don't worry about it. I'm actually pretty happy that you were able to find someone you like," he answered. "I just hope he's a really good guy."

He took a few steps towards the door before turning back around to face her. "Yukiko-chan, I wish you the best of luck," he said with a small bow. She nodded back and watched as he disappeared around the corner. At the sound of the door slamming shut, she walked over to the edge of the roof and allowed her fingers to twist through the chain link fence.

_Did I do the right thing? My family has known the Kirishimas for a long time, and they are very good people,_ she reasoned. _Kirishima-senpai was always a nice guy, but I never really saw him as a possible boyfriend…_

Yukiko stared down at the town at the bottom of the hill and sighed. As breathtaking as the scenery was with the cloudless blue sky and the lush green trees and grass, she still felt her stomach sink with worry at the prospect of her secret being revealed. She was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't hear the soft footfalls of someone come up behind her.

"It's funny that you finally admit you like someone right when Shirogane joins the school."

She gasped in surprise and spun around to find Souji standing behind her. She eyed the small plastic packages of curry bread and juice cans before looking into his face. "Souji-kun? Did you listen in on everything?"

"When I saw you head for the roof, I thought that our friends might wonder why you're taking so long in bringing lunch," he said calmly. "So I took the liberty of buying them for you then came here to get you. I only caught the part where you told that guy you liked someone."

"Then…why did you say that thing about Naoto-kun earlier?"

Souji tossed her one of the curry buns in his hands, the plastic crinkling noisily. "When I passed by that guy on the stairs, he muttered something like, 'lost her to a detective' or something. He was still smiling, so I don't think he was too bummed out."

"He thinks I like Naoto-kun? But that's—!"

"A much better explanation than you liking me," Souji finished for her. "From what I saw on the way to the cafeteria, a lot of girls were raving about having a detective here at school. It was pretty much the same when Rise-chan first arrived, only there're no bikini calendars floating around."

Yukiko pulled open the plastic and pulled out the bun. "Well…If a lot of girls have a crush on him, I guess it's not so bad if people think that I'm interested. I'd rather that no one thought that I liked him, but…" She nibbled on the bun briefly. "Hold on…what bikini calendars?"

Souji shifted the items in his arms and opened one of the wrapped buns. "Oh yeah, speaking of Shirogane, I was also thinking that something was odd about the case suddenly closing. If that Kubo kid really was the guy throwing people into the TV, then how come we can still go into the TV World?"

At the mention of this, Yukiko took another bite of her bun and chewed thoughtfully. "We can still go inside the TV?" she said with a hand covering her somewhat full mouth. "But, we haven't gone in weeks. How do you know we can still go?"

"I was doing some dusting a few days ago and my hand went right through my TV screen," he explained, moving the bit of bread over to one side of his mouth. "I thought it was strange since Kubo's supposed to be the killer."

He tilted his head towards the door, indicating that they should return to the classroom soon. When he got to the door, Souji clumsily tried to juggle the other bread and cans of juice to open the door but ended up letting Yukiko open it for him.

"Thank you, kind sir," he said playfully with a small bow before walking through.

"Your welcome, madam," she replied with a smile.

On the way down the stairs, Yukiko slid the remainder of her bread back into the plastic and asked, "Souji-kun…were you able to go inside the TV before moving here?"

"Not that I know of," he said. "Trying to jump into the TV wasn't one of my hobbies."

"Oh, of course not." Yukiko scrunched up the plastic in her hands in thought when a male student approached Souji.

"Hey, Seta! Can you do me a favor?" the student asked.

"Sure, what is it?"

The three continued walking down the second floor hallway as he gave his request.

"I don't know where to find it, but I'll look around inside the TV," Souji said freely.

"Sweet! Thanks!" The boy said and turned away. Just as the two had slipped into their classroom, the boy stopped and scratched his head while mouthing, "Wait, what?"

Inside the classroom, they found out that Chie and Yosuke had been dragged away to the faculty room by their homeroom teacher for "causing a ruckus" for the others. Most of their classmates either were used to their antics by now or found it entertaining, but that didn't matter to Kashiwagi-sensei.

"Hmm…I'm sure Chie-chan's okay," Souji mumbled. "But Yosuke…I'm a little worried."

"Why do you say…oh." Yukiko started taking the other bread packages and cans from Souji's arms and placed them on her desk. "Perhaps we should stop at the shrine after school to pray for him?"

"Nah, I think he can take care of himself," he answered as he opened one of the juice cans. "He's been practicing running away from Chie-chan, so he should be able to escape Kashiwagi."

With a small nod she took her seat and noticed that she hadn't put away her notebook. She flipped through it and saw scribbles and doodles in place of the day's notes. "Um, Souji-kun? Is it okay if I borrow your notes? I wasn't able to concentrate earlier."

"Sure." He pulled out a few of his own notebooks from his desk and handed them to her.

"Thanks," she said as she gratefully took the notebooks and started flipping through. Before she could find the page with the day's notes, the bell had rung to resume class. After everyone had gotten into their seats, the classroom door near the blackboard opened and in walked Chie and Yosuke, closely followed by a woman with brown hair, a white blouse, black skirt, and black high heels. She slid the door closed and strode to the front of the class with brown eyes landing on one particular student. At this one student, she crossed her arms over her chest to push up her bust and winked.

Yukiko followed her teacher's gaze and turned around to see that Souji had narrowed his eyes while his hand twitched atop his desk. She said a quick prayer for protection over her boyfriend and hoped that he still carried that shrine charm she had given him a few weeks before.

...

The end of the school day had finally come and students were practically flooding the entrance to escape the stuffy prison. Souji, Yukiko, Chie and Yosuke had stayed behind to avoid being trampled and had made it to the shoe lockers when the topic of the murder case being solved came up. When it came to the murder case, one thing always came to mind.

"Hey, we're stopping by Junes later, right? Why don't we ask Naoto-kun to join us?" Yukiko suggested as she switched her leather bag from her right hand to her left; her fingers ached slightly from the extra weight of Souji's notebooks.

Her three friends all exchanged confused looks as to why she suddenly would want to invite the new boy to hang out with them. Seeing their faces, she quickly added, "Oh, I just thought… Since he doesn't know anyone yet, he must feel lonely…"

"Didn't he say that he came here to help out with the murder case?" Yosuke asked. "With the case closed, he's just an ordinary guy now. And if you think about it, that makes him a transfer student…just like us."

He stuck a thumb out and pointed to himself and Souji, who nodded. Just then Rise strode up to their group.

"Hello, Senpai!" she greeted them all with her curly pigtails bouncing about her shoulders.

The four glanced over to her briefly before Yosuke said, "Maybe he transferred here out of plain stubbornness. 'Cause he doesn't seem like he's only in it for fun."

The first-year girl tilted her head, trying to pick up on who they were talking about. She then decided to just listen in more and allowed Yosuke to continue.

"Alright, let's see if he wants to hang out with us," he finished as he folded his arms across his chest and winked.

"A celebrity coming to the school is already a surprise, but a detective is even rarer," Chie said. "I'm a little curious to see what his family's like, too."

"There's that, and the fact that he's a detective at his age," Yukiko added, shifting her bag again to her other hand.

They all agreed to invite him out with them and took a few steps down the hallway when they saw the tiny detective backed against the wall by two girls.

"Oh, speak of the devil!" Yosuke said. "There's the little guy."

They watched as the two girls pressed their faces up close to Naoto's, smirking at their catch.

"You dunno the area yet, right?" the girl with short black hair said in a snooty voice. "C'mon, we'll show you around."

"There's probably tons of places to hang out that only we'd know about," her friend with short brown hair said as she twirled some hair on her finger.

At first, Naoto looked at them blankly before smiling and shaking his head. "That won't be necessary. I'm not interested in 'hanging out,' and neither am I interested in you two."

The first girl's eye twitched. "Huh? What did you say!"

"What's with that attitude!" The other girl said angrily. "We're just trying to be friendly!"

Both of them pressed their faces closer, but Naoto stood his ground with an indifferent look on his face. A few feet away, Yosuke muttered to himself, "Geez… Way to make an impression.

"Yo, Naoto-kun," he called as he took a few steps towards the trio. "How's it going?"

The three turned their heads towards their upper classman with the two girls' faces filling with panic.

"Oh, um…" was all the first girl could say before a tall, muscular, platinum-blonde boy passed by.

"H-Hey guys. 'Sup?" Kanji said with an unintended scowl on his face. The two girls nearly jumped when they saw him and started backing towards the entrance.

"Uh, well, we'll be going now…" the girl's friend said rapidly before they briskly walked away. On their way out, the rest of the team gathered around Naoto wordlessly.

"So we meet again. May I help you?" Naoto said coolly to everyone.

"If you're not doing anything after school, wanna come with us?" Chie asked with her usual friendly smile.

"Come with… You mean me?" Naoto's face lit up briefly before he regained his composure. "Perhaps another time. I have some things to mull over."

"Things to mull over?" Rise repeated with another head tilt.

"I must go straight home today," Naoto told everyone. "I promised my Grampa so."

"…'Grampa'…?" Kanji muttered slowly to himself.

"Oh well… That's that, then," Chie said in a somewhat disappointed tone. "Let's hang out some other time."

After their encounter with the young detective, the group went to Junes to relax and talk for a bit. They bought some drinks before picking their seats, leaving Yukiko somewhat disappointed that a certain "fabulous man" had decided to seat himself between her and her boyfriend.

"Man, did you see Naoto's attitude…?" Yosuke asked as he tugged at his shirt collar. "He sure blew his debut at school… Is he gonna be okay at Yasogami?"

"He is different, but he has this… mysterious air around him that draws your attention," Yukiko pointed out.

"Whoa, Yukiko-san, I never knew… You like younger guys?" Yosuke said teasingly. Souji nodded his head slightly in agreement, but no one noticed.

"No, that's not what I meant…" she sighed, but Chie snorted at the idea.

"Naoto-kun said he has 'things to mull over,' but he's gotta be talking about the murder case," Chie said seriously.

"He's some ace detective, right?" Yosuke pondered aloud. "I bet he's not satisfied… even though the case is closed."

"That's true…but…" Chie hung her head, trying to think of why Naoto wouldn't be happy with the case solution. After a few moments of grumbling with Yosuke, she lifted her head and looked around the Junes food court. "This place isn't our 'special headquarters' anymore…"

She shook her head. "Eh, let's talk about something else."

Everyone searched their brains for something to talk about, but the conversation picked back up with Yosuke. "Isn't the class trip coming up soon? Where're we going?"

"Tatsumi Port Island," Yukiko answered. "I heard it's an artificial island that faces the ocean. It's a pretty big city."

Rise, who had been sipping her soda, opened her eyes wide and without taking the straw out of her mouth, said, "Huh? Port Island?"

She set her drink down. "I did tons of shoots there. It's just beyond the Moonlight Bridge, yeah? Should be lots of places to hang out."

Side conversations started around the table with everyone growing excited for the trip, until Chie pointed out something. "Uh, actually… we may not have any time to goof off during this trip."

Her friends' voices cut off immediately and they all turned to look at her. "I heard the school board is changing the trip's schedule this year," she continued. "The idea is, we're gonna visit a private school there. Like, to have local and urban students interact or something. It'll be all about studying and serious business… Yuck."

While everyone groaned in unison, no one noticed Souji crossing his ankle over his knee, leaning to one side and tracing his thumb and index finger around his mouth like he was stroking an invisible beard thoughtfully as Rise grumbled, "Ugh… They're totally missing the point of a class trip."

"What kinda place is this private school?" Yosuke asked, hoping for something to look forward to.

"I heard it's really good. They have nice buildings and everything," Chie replied. "But it's closed on the day we're going there, so they're going the extra mile to make this work. They want us to tour some factories on the second day, and then we're coming back on the third day."

"That's no different from a social studies field trip!" Yosuke griped. "Urgh… I didn't want to know that…"

Kanji picked up his can of TAP and chugged it down before slamming it back onto the table. "Can't expect much from a school-sponsored trip, I guess," he said. "Well, we'll be around, so if it starts to drag, we can ditch."

"I'll show you guys around!" Rise piped up.

"But we're in different years," Yosuke pointed out.

"Oh, didn't you know? The excursion will be like the campout. They're going to combine the first- and second-years," Yukiko said. "Since student enrollment is down and they're low on funds, they've cut the excursion back to once every two years."

"Well, at least we won't be bored with you around, Senpai," Kanji said with a smirk. From behind his hand, Souji closed his eyes and nodded gleefully.

"Gosh, I'm trying to remember the last time I went to Port Island and I wasn't working… This'll be great!" Rise chuckled.

"I wish I could be that positive about it…" Yosuke sighed. "Doesn't this seem like a pain in the ass to anyone else?"

"Some people were against the proposition, but it's been decided," Chie said. "Oh, and guess whose idea it was? King Moron's. It's just the kind of thing he'd come up with…"

Yosuke twisted his face up like he was in pain. "Nooo, King Moron…! Why must you torture us from the grave…!"

Just then, they were approached by a blue bear wearing a clown suit. He waddled up to the table and wailed, "Noooo… King Moron…!"

"You don't even know who that is," Kanji growled at Teddie, but the bear ignored him.

"Hey, tell me more about this trip," he said with smiles upon his mouth and eyes. "Where is Port Island? What's there?"

Yosuke folded his arms across his chest once more. "Go back to work, will ya?" he said in an annoyed tone.

"Well, even though the class trip is coming up, it's still a ways away," Chie mentioned. "What should I do until then…?"

With a groan and a stretch, Kanji draped an arm over the back of his chair. "Well, it's not like we got much to do here in the first place… Man is just an animal trying to figure out how to kill time through his days…"

"Huh. You made that sound like you were being philosophical… Yet it made absolutely no sense," Chie huffed.

"S-Sorry…" Kanji muttered apologetically while Yukiko snorted.

...

The team left with a mixture of excitement and disappointment at the school trip, leaving in the usual pairs. Yukiko was trudging up the hill to her family inn with Chie, her fingers aching more from the excessive weight of her school bag.

"I guess the trip won't be too bad since we're not stuck in a classroom all day," Chie said, trying to convince herself that the trip won't be a complete waste.

"Yeah, and I've never left Inaba, so I'm actually more excited if anything," Yukiko agreed.

"And it's a city, so it's completely different from here," Chie noted. "I wonder how much different their school is from ours? I mean, ours isn't too shabby, but I just can't help but wonder…"

They continued discussing the possible differences of their humble little Inaba to the glorious city of Tatsumi Port Island until they reached the Amagi Inn. When they parted, Yukiko went straight to her room to rest before copying Souji's notes. As she sat at the short table, she found herself pulling out his notebooks and leafing through them.

_I guess I'll have to omit the resting part,_ she thought as she examined his past notes. Everything was written very neatly and organized beautifully, almost textbook quality. She saw little notes and tips written here and there reminding the reader of how to do things and what it should be.

_No wonder he did so well on exams! His notes make perfect sense!_ She thumbed through some more and finally landed on today's notes. Diving back into her bag, she took out her own notebooks and some pencils and began to copy everything exactly as she saw on Souji's pages until she came across some tiny writing that wasn't a tip or hint at all.

"_I wonder who sent that note,"_ she read. Yukiko had to hold the notebook up to her face to see the miniscule writing. "He saw that? So he knew…?"

She scanned the pages for more tiny writings and found a few others. _"Teacher, can we play in the cafeteria freezer? How about this: can you NOT flash leg at me, please? I'm scarred enough when I work nights at the hospital…"_

_He works at the hospital in the evening? Did we put him that far into debt?_ Yukiko pulled out another notebook, this time for math.

_"Who's the punk hitting on Girlfriend? If he dares come near her again, I'll go Captain Bastard on him!"_

A snort escaped Yukiko's nose and soon became a giggle. "Aw, he was jealous! Oh, Souji-kun...how sweet…"

"_I know! If I summon the Mistress, or do the Kanji Call and tell them what's going on, they'll definitely help win her back!"_

"That's new… the 'Kanji Call'? And I'm sure the Mistress wouldn't object to helping him win me back," she commented as she turned the page. "Oh…what's this?"

"_ZOMG, who IS this guy? Is he better-looking than me? Is he less of a bastard than me? Does he have girls throwing themselves at him? Is he rich? Is it because I don't get to spend as much time with Girlfriend as he can? It's my bowl-cut, isn't it? And what's the past tense of shit? Is it…shat? _

"Wow…I really had him worried…I'm sorry, Souji-kun!" Yukiko eyed the last part again. "Where did that come from? Did the heat finally get to him, or is that just how his train of thought works?"

Next to that last question, Yukiko penciled in, "_I actually think it's like the word 'hit.' So if the present tense is, 'I hit the guy trying to steal my girlfriend,' then the past tense will still be the same."_

She sat there and stared at what she had written. "I think I just supported Boyfriend's violent rampage."

She quickly erased what she had written and picked up another notebook, this time for English Literature. The notes were on the piece of literature they were supposed to read over the summer. Glancing over the list of characters and their descriptions Souji had written, one of them caught her eye.

"_Rochester: a complete manwhore to the English society. Seeks out any being of the female form and hits on them. Dresses richly, talks smoothly, and sparkles with a flick of his hair."_

Underneath this, she saw another note. _"Sounds like a certain bear we know and love. I think I'll call him…Lord Rochester. Yeah, that's such a manwhore name. Rochester…Raaaaw-chester…Rawr…"_

"I don't recall Rochester being a smooth talker," Yukiko muttered to herself. "Nor did he sparkle with a flick of his hair. But now, every time I hear that name I'll picture Teddie instead."

She put away that notebook and pulled out the last one. Once again, everything was beautifully written, with diagrams and pictures for examples. Her eyes carefully studied each pencil mark, not seeing any more of those sidebar notes the others had until the end of the notes.

_"She keeps looking at the clock. I guess she's counting down the minutes of when she has to meet with the note guy. I'm actually kinda worried…man, that's such a chick thing to say. But what if he's luring her out to a bunch of punks? Mistress and I saw a couple of punks in a back alley before, and they're lucky they didn't have the cajones to fight us, but…I should go check on her, just in case."_

Reading that, she slowly closed the notebook and hugged it to her chest. "That Boyfriend…he really does care…"

Yukiko leaned backwards to lie down, her legs still under the short table. The words she had just read in all the notebooks seemed unwilling to fade from her mind. _Souji-kun…it's obvious who the better guy is. You don't have to worry about losing me to anybody. And thanks for watching out for me…_

She sat back up and started copying all the notes she had missed, the only sounds being the cicadas buzzing noisily outside and her pencil scratching over the paper. Her pencil stopped only for one thing.

_What in the world are 'cajones'…?_

_..._

The following Sunday Yukiko dressed up to visit Chie at her place. The most contact she had with Souji since Thursday was returning his notes, having no opportunity to say anything beyond a simple "Thank you."

By mid morning, she had stepped out into the sunshine and was quickly smothered by the humidity. She wore a light yellow sundress that waved merrily about her legs and her white flats cushioned her every step as she seemed to bounce down the hill from her inn. It had been awhile since she was able to enjoy herself outside, so she wanted to make the most of it.

Once the scenery had changed from trees and grass to concrete and houses, Yukiko pulled out her cell phone from a small, white purse and checked the time.

_It's only ten-thirty, so I'm pretty early,_ she thought as she clicked her cell phone shut and returned it to her purse. _I guess I can stop by and say hello…_

She rounded a corner and smiled at a house surrounded by a tall concrete wall. The gate was left open and she heard a telephone ring from inside the house.

"I'll get it!" she heard a small girl call, and the sound of small feet running inside the house followed.

"That must be Nanako-chan," Yukiko said to herself. She quickly smoothed out her dress and checked her hair, making sure none of the black, silky strands had come loose from her red headband. Once she felt like she was cleaned up, she took a step towards the gate and—

"Eat this: Captain Bastard's Bastard Bubbles!"

The girl froze, trying to figure out what she had just heard and quickly stuck her head inside the gate. There she saw Souji wearing a white V-necked shirt and blue jeans blowing dozens of bubbles from a tiny plastic bubble wand, a bottle of bubble fluid clutched in his other hand.

"Had enough?" He yelled at an invisible foe. "Well, too bad! This is what you get for defying JUSTICE!"

She couldn't hold it back anymore; Yukiko's laughter was so powerful that all she could do was gasp for breath while tears of laughter streamed down her face. The sound of her choking on her own laughter caught Souji's attention, and he slowly turned around with a stern look on his face.

"S-Sorry…" she gasped, grasping the wall to steady herself. "I just…I…haha…Oh, I can't breathe…"

Souji set down the bottle of bubble fluid by the front door and pulled out his handkerchief. "Good to see you again, too," he said plainly, but Yukiko could tell he was embarrassed. He dabbed at her cheeks and eyes with his white and blue handkerchief, and she slowly calmed down.

"S-So…may I ask what you were doing?" she asked, a giggle bubbling up from inside her every now and then.

"I was just relaxing a bit," he told her. "Y'know, like how Uncle smokes and Kanji drinks. I just happen to blow bubbles."

"I'm glad you chose something good to relax with," she agreed. "So, how've you been? I haven't been able to talk to you properly in days!"

"I've been busy with homework and work," he answered. "Also, I had to help Tatsumi find something in the river yesterday."

"The river? Did you find it?"

"Nope. He wasn't too happy at first, but suddenly he got all excited and ran home."

"What was he looking for?"

"Some kid lost this doll he got from a girl," Souji explained. "A group of kids took it and threw it in the river, and he wanted to go in and look for it."

"Poor guy. So, where does Kanji-kun fit into all this?"

"He's the one who saw the kid and offered to help."

Yukiko nodded in acceptance. "He's changed quite a bit since we first started talking to him."

"You're right about that. Oh hey, so how've you been? I see you've got a nice dress there," Souji said as he eyed her outfit.

"Do you like it? I thought I should try a new color," she said with a shy smile.

"It looks good on you."

Yukiko felt her hand automatically grab her arm from around her back. "Th-Thank you."

They stood side-by-side without saying anything, the only sound being the birds and the cicadas tweeting and buzzing somewhere above them.

"So…" they said at the same time, both stopping short when they heard the other speak.

"You first," Souji said quickly.

"No, you first," Yukiko insisted.

"I implore you to go first," he answered.

"'Implore?' Then I beseech you to go first."

"Too bad, because I entreat you."

"And I say 'no' to your entreating and your imploring."

They stared hard into each others' eyes before finally breaking out into laughter.

"I knew I picked the right one," Yukiko whispered to herself when she had calmed down enough.

"Huh? What?" Souji asked.

"Sorry…that was a little awkward," she apologized. "Um, that day, when I borrowed your notes, I kind of read your little comments that kept popping up everywhere, so…"

"Oh…" was all he could say. She could tell she made him very uncomfortable and shook her head.

"No, the part with Lord Rochester was very entertaining, but the other parts where you were worried about losing me…"

Yukiko reached out and wrapped her arms around him. "It made me realize how lucky I am to have you, and just how little I know about you. You know so much about me, especially since you saw my shadow, but…"

She felt Souji place his hands around her back. "Already, you can read me so easily. You knew I would go off on my own without thinking about the possibility of the note owner being someone dangerous. You also made sure to buy lunch for everyone in my place so they wouldn't question why I took so long. I look at you, and I can barely tell what you're thinking. I didn't even think that you would be so bothered at the idea of someone else asking me out."

"Yukiko-san, why do you think I wouldn't be bothered with someone else asking you out?" he said softly.

"I don't know. You always seem so confident, and most of the time, no one really knows what's on your mind. I only found out because of what you wrote in your notes."

"Now, is it really your fault that I don't let others know what I'm thinking about?"

Yukiko closed her eyes and nestled her head into his neck. "I guess not…but, I still feel that I should be able to at least know when my boyfriend's worried about something."

"Don't worry about it," he told her. She felt his voice vibrate in his neck against her cheek. "If it was anything really worth worrying over, I'll let you know."

He placed a hand on either of her shoulders and gently pushed her away from him. They both smiled at each other before she rose on her toes and met his lips with hers.

"Wow! You guys really are dating!"

They quickly pulled apart and saw Nanako standing in the doorway, her mouth open in a huge smile.

"Nanako-chan, who was that on the phone?" Souji asked, sounding as though nothing had happened. Yukiko had turned her face to the side, trying to cover up her rapidly reddening face.

"That was Dad asking what we wanted for dinner. I tried asking him to let us eat at Junes, but he just said that we'll talk it when he gets home. But wow, you guys really are in love!" she squealed.

"Remember what I told you," Souji said as he knelt down to be face-to-face with his cousin. "You can't tell anybody, okay?"

"I haven't told anybody!" she protested and looked to Yukiko for assurance. Yukiko looked to the small girl and nodded.

"I think she's kept her promise, Souji-kun," Yukiko told him, her face returning to normal.

"Yeah! Big Bro, are you and Big Sis Yukiko gonna go out today?" Nanako asked eagerly, but was shot down when Yukiko shook her head.

"I'm sorry, but today I have plans with Chie," she said. "I was going to visit her and Chosokabe-kun."

Souji tilted his head at his girlfriend. "Choso… who's that?"

"Chie's dog."

"I thought she named him Muku."

"Oh…I secretly named him Chosokabe-kun when I found him," she said bashfully. "But, my parents wouldn't allow pets at the inn, so Chie adopted him instead. I was on my way to visit them but thought I'd say 'hi' to you guys first. Do you want to come?"

"Ah, I can't, sorry," Souji said. "First I gotta take Nanako-chan and some of her friends to the movies, and then I promised I'd meet with someone…"

"It looks like we're all busy today," Yukiko smiled.

"Yeah," Souji sighed. "Oh, Nanako-chan, you'd better get ready soon. We gotta pick up your friends in a few minutes."

"Okay!" the girl cheered and shot back inside the house, leaving the two teens alone again.

"She'll be at least five minutes," Souji pointed out. "Wanna… you know…"

Yukiko was about to slap him when she saw he was holding up the bottle of bubble fluid to her. "Oh, you meant…"

She took the bottle from him and pulled out the small plastic wand. She blew a stream of bubbles at him and laughed.

"What did you think I meant earlier?" he laughed as he brushed bubbles away from his chest.

"I just thought…well…" she handed him back the bottle. "Over the summer break, we've had a few customers with some…suggestive language…"

"Haha, and I thought you had _that_ kind of mind," he poked fun at her, and she retaliated with a playful smack to his arm.

"I'd better go before Chie starts to think of questioning me again," Yukiko said. "At least we'll get to spend a lot of time together on the school trip."

"Yeah…just you and me, and the Mistress, and the Puppy, and the Anti-Maiden, and—"

"Who's the Anti-Maiden?"

"Well, I started to think about Rise-chan and how, as an idol, she's not really all that maidenly. Maidens are more…reserved. You wouldn't expect to see a maiden wearing a two-piece swim suit with boundless amounts of energy."

Yukiko thought for a moment and realized how right he was. "Okay, so that leaves Mr. Fabulous. Too bad Lord Rochester can't come with us. I think he would've liked Tatsumi Port Island."

Souji started laughing. "Sorry…but man, Lord Rochester just sounds like a total manwhore!"

Yukiko giggled a little and gave him a peck on the cheek before taking a few steps towards the gate. "Souji-kun… I love you."

Her words surprised him and his face flushed red. "Yeah…Um…you too…"

With that, she started on her way to Chie's house, almost skipping on her way there.

_How cute, even he gets embarrassed when I tell him that._

_..._

Hey, Moyabomb here. I know it's been almost a year since I last updated the fic, but lots have been happening, including me needing a major break from writing. I apologize for the wait, but there's a good chance that the updates are going to be like this. Well, maybe not this bad, but yeah.

Thanks for continuing to read! Your patience astounds me! No really, I really appreciate your guys' patience!

So yeah, I thought I wanted to let everyone see how everyone else sees Souji—the perfect, wonderful, handsome, stoic teenage boy we all know and love. It's like a comparison of how everyone sees him outwardly and how Yukiko is learning to read him, so you can imagine why it took so long to write. Plus laziness, but I digress.

By the way, I have no clue what a sundress really looks like. As for Yukiko's flats…Let's pretend I have a good idea on what they are. They're just shoes with no heels but for women, right?

Oh yeah, there was a brief Resident Evil 4 reference. Wonder if you caught it. Oh, and another reference is the Rochester character from Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre. My English professor kept emphasizing how much of a manwhore (he seriously used that word) the guy was, so I started thinking, "Dang, he reminds me of Teddie!" So yeah, that's where Rochester came from.

And, a special thanks to Mayumi-H for helping me get through the scene with Kirishima! That was the part I was stuck on for months, and Mayumi-H was able to solve everything for me! Thanks a ton!

By the way, I tried rereading my fic, and I felt myself cringing on the fluffy parts. Ironic?

Thanks again, everybody! See you guys still reading my fic really encouraged me to finally get back on my computer and write!

One more thing: if you don't know, cajones are balls. Yes, those kinds of balls.


	18. Chapter 18

Souji was already on his way to school on a cloudless Thursday morning with a big, black bag thrown over his shoulder. Today was the first day of the class trip to Tatsumi Port Island and in spite of all the negatives that he had heard from his friends and classmates, Souji was pretty excited. He never showed it, of course, but for some odd reason, he couldn't help but hum a happy tune on his way to school.

_Be jealous, bitches, 'cause I'm the dancing queen! _He thought to himself as he turned a corner that lead out of a neighborhood. Up ahead was a pathway that led up a hill to the school, but at the bottom of the hill were three charter buses lined up against the left side of the road facing the street that Souji had just come from. A few clusters of students were milling around the buses, some carrying their luggage while others had already lined theirs next to the buses.

As he approached the buses he could see that some of them were standing around certain teachers to check in with them. His sunny attitude soon turned gloomy when he realized that he would have to ask his homeroom teacher which bus his class was on. Looking around, he soon spotted the middle-aged woman staring back at him while holding a clipboard and chewing on the end of her pen. With a mental shudder, Souji mustered up all his courage and walked up to her.

"Good morning, Seta-kun," she said with a sultry voice as she checked his name off of the roll call list.

"Good morning, Kashiwagi-sensei," Souji replied, leaning a little to his right as he felt her draw closer to him. _Top o' the mornin' to ya, Slutty McSlut-Slut!_

"Tell me, Seta…Do you get motion sickness?"

_My Bastard senses are tingling! DANGER!_ "I do, actually. Why do you ask?"

Kashiwagi backed away slightly, looking a little disappointed. "Oh… Well, sometimes we get the few students who need to sit in the back. You might've had to give up your seat if we had a student like that. If you end up all right, there's a seat next to me…"

She leaned into him again and reached her free arm across her stomach, pushing up on her breasts that peeked through her low-cut blouse. She searched him for a reaction, but Souji pretended to shift his bag on his shoulder to look away.

"Thank you for the offer, Sensei," he said calmly while keeping his eyes on the ground. "Which bus is our class on?"

"Ours is the first bus," she answered, taking a step to the side to get back into his view. Just as she came into his sights, Souji brought a hand up to his brow to wipe at the sweat on his forehead and bowed.

"Thank you, Sensei. I'll go and put my bag with the rest now," he said with a smile before leaving.

As he walked away, Kashiwagi lowered her arm from her chest and grinned. "Oh, he's a smooth one…"

_…I need a hug…I've just been violated…_ Souji thought as he set his bag down in the line of other bags. He began to rub a hand against his upper arm as though to rub out the unclean feeling his teacher had just left him with. Wanting to get as far away from Kashiwagi as possible, Souji walked to the side of the bus opposite the baggage and saw a familiar flash of red walking towards him.

_My fountain of healing! _Souji kept himself rooted to the spot so as not to charge down the hill to hug Yukiko. She looked up and saw the silvery shine of his hair and smiled.

"Good morning, Souji-kun!" she called to him.

"Good morning, my fountain of healing!" he said in a quieter tone for only her to hear.

"Um…what?" Yukiko cocked an eyebrow at him, still not quite used to the unpredictable things that could come out of his mouth at any time.

"Oh, nothing," he said quickly without losing the cool smile on his face. "Haven't seen you since Sunday. How've you been?"

"I've been all right," she replied. "I'm surprised how much hotter it is today, though. It wasn't this bad last week…"

"You're right about that..." Having been in a good mood all morning, Souji only started to notice the muggy heat after Yukiko had mentioned it and started to tug on his collar. Yukiko, seeing his struggle with the heat, produced a simple, white paper fan from her red tote bag and began to flap it in his direction.

"If we end up sitting together, I could share my fan easier with you," she said somewhat timidly.

In his mind, Souji interpreted this to mean he could lay his head on her lap as she fanned him with peacock feathers while feeding him chilled grapes. "Let's pray that Chie-chan uses this as an opportunity to get us together," he whispered in a low, serious tone, now picturing Yukiko as a goddess wearing a toga.

"I'm actually hoping the same thing, too," she said with a blush at her own intent of 'accidentally' falling asleep with her head resting against his shoulder. The two sunk deeply into their little daydreams until Souji noticed that she was still holding her bag.

"You might wanna check in with Kashiwagi first," he told her. "She's behind the first bus."

Yukiko nodded. "Yeah…I'll be right back."

She was about to take a step past Souji before stopping when she noticed he had waved at someone over her shoulder. When she looked, she saw that Kanji was taking long strides towards them with a broad smile on his face. She waved to their junior and was surprised when his face turned to fear before he cast his eyes to the ground and sped up his walk right past them.

"Did I do something…?" Yukiko asked Souji uneasily.

"Your feminine charm must've disabled his fabulous beam," Souji said with squinted eyes.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I basically said that you're hotter than Mr. Fabulous," he said bluntly as he searched for anything that might have upset Kanji. "Are you sure you didn't do anything to him? I remember he got like this after a little misunderstanding with Chie-chan..."

Yukiko started to wring the straps of her bag. "I don't think I did anything to him… Do you really consider me to be… hot…?"

Having not heard her, he took one more look around the area and spotted the familiar figure of a certain small boy with a blue messenger boy cap. "Ah, I think I found the source of the problem."

"Oh? What is it?" Yukiko looked up at Souji and followed where he was looking only to spot Naoto walk between the buses with his luggage for the trip. "Huh? Naoto-kun? Why would he cause problems for Kanji-kun?"

"No idea. Now that I think of it, yesterday morning when Yosuke, Tatsumi and I were on our way to school Shirogane caught up to us and greeted us normally. Then Tatsumi suddenly ran ahead, saying something about being on duty for the day."

"So, Kanji-kun's afraid of Naoto-kun? But, he's so much bigger than him!"

"Yeah, but look at Chie-chan—she's pretty short, but she can strip a cow of its meat all on her own."

"That's true," she said thoughtfully. "Souji-kun…you're surprisingly talkative today. How come you never talk this much around anyone else?"

"Huh? What…uh…" _Hold on…I'm talking too much? No one's ever told me that before…But, she has a point. Why AM I talking so much today?_

He felt her take a hold of his wrist and placed her fan in his hand. "I'm going to go check in, so you can use this until I get back."

Souji's eyes followed her red until she disappeared around the bus, still lost in thought as to why he was suddenly so talkative.

…

Over an hour later, everyone began to board their respective buses while teachers checked over their lists to make sure that everyone in their classes was present. Souji wordlessly pushed himself and his friends closer to the rear of the bus, mainly to stay as far away from Kashiwagi as possible. The first thing every single student did when they picked their seats was open up the air vent above them to allow the cool air to blast them as soon as the air conditioning was turned on. When the driver started the bus, everyone in unison let out a satisfied sigh as the chilly air hit them.

Soon the three buses were driving by nothing but endless fields of crops and nature. With nothing really interesting to point out, everyone took the opportunity to either take a nap, read, or talk to their friends. In the aisle seat next to Souji, Yosuke had his giant headphones up around his ears while he played air guitar to some mystery song.

_Mistress, you were supposed to make me and Girlfriend sit together in an attempt to get us together! I wanted to lie in my goddess' lap and have her fan me with peacock feathers while feeding me chilled grapes! This blows!_ Souji stared longingly out the window, his eyes not really seeing the fields of wheat that flew by him, but daydreaming about his fantasy. It was only when he heard voices from the seat behind him that he snapped out of his thoughts.

"For real? Are you sure?" He heard a girl's voice say.

"Yeah! I didn't think it was true either, but someone told me that she likes him, too! They overheard someone at Junes talk about it!" her friend replied.

_That's how rumors get spread, my dear,_ Souji thought to himself as he moved his head closer to the small space between his and Yosuke's seat to hear them better.

"Well, it's possible, since everybody seems to like him."

"But I thought she liked…?"

"But he was with Ebihara, remember?"

_Whoa, who's this now?_ Souji leaned closer to the crack between the seats, his head almost on Yosuke's shoulder now.

"I heard that she pushed him into a relationship and that he didn't really like her."

"For real? Cuz I heard that he had a secret girlfriend!"

"Wait, do you think Amagi-san—?"

"But she supposedly likes Naoto-kun!"

_WHAT?_ Souji let out a cry when Yosuke accidentally whipped his hand into his nose. He quickly yanked off his headphones and quickly apologized when he saw his friend holding his nose.

"Whoa, sorry!" Yosuke said when he saw Souji's nose start to drip blood. "Dude, what were you doing? What was your head doing down there?"

Souji waved a hand at him and pulled out his cell phone, texting furiously with one hand while the other tried to stop the cascade of blood from dripping onto his white shirt. Yosuke leaned forward and stuck his head around the seat in front of him.

"Hey, do any of you guys have a tissue?" He asked their other two friends.

"I think Yukiko does," Chie told him as Yukiko began to dig around in her carry-on bag until she found a small packet of tissues.

"Thanks," Yosuke said hurriedly as he took it and pulled out a couple of tissues. He handed the packet back before he disappeared back behind their seats to hand the tissues to Souji.

"Whoa, what happened to you?" Chie asked as she peeked over the top of her headrest, spotting a bloody Souji.

"It was my fault," Yosuke told her and made hand motions to reenact what had happened. "I got really into the song and kinda hit him."

"Ouch," she said with a cringe. Having been so fixated on his bloody tissues, she barely noticed Souji waving his cell phone at her to take.

"Oh, sorry!" She took it and read the text he had typed out. "'_Have I heard any rumors lately about Yukiko-san?_' No, I haven't. Why?"

He took back his cell phone and deleted the first screen, typing another message quickly after. This time, he sent it to her phone.

"_Sit back down, and don't get mad. I just overheard two girls talking about a rumor about Yukiko-san."_

"What is it?" Yosuke whispered, and Souji showed him the text he had just sent. In front of Yosuke, they heard Chie struggle to hold back a grunt. "Whoa, seriously? What'd you—"

"_Text it! I don't want anyone else to overhear, especially Yukiko-san!"_ Souji typed before flashing it to his friend. His phone buzzed to let him know he had received a message.

"_What's the rumor? Who started it? Who did u hear it from?"_ Chie demanded.

Before answering, Souji folded over the tissue he had been using and pressed it back under his nose. "_I overheard the girls behind me say that there's a rumor going on about Yukiko-san possibly liking Shirogane."_

Before sending his reply to Chie, he showed Yosuke the text. Yosuke seemed to get the hint and pulled out his own phone to join the conversation.

"Oh, Chie? Is everything okay? Do they need more tissues?" Souji heard Yukiko ask from in front of them.

"Huh? Oh, hold on, I'll ask!"

"Don't worry about it, I'll ask myself," he heard her answer and soon she poked her head over the back of her seat with the small, pink packet of tissues in her hand. Her eyes widened when she saw the blood stains on the tissue and his fingers. "Souji-kun! Are you okay? Here, tilt your head back and pinch your nose…"

"No, it's okay," he said, his phone still in his hand with his unsent reply still on the screen.

"You're a mess! Here, give me this," she said firmly as she took away his cell phone and stuck the tissue packet in his hands. Souji, Chie and Yosuke all stared in horror as she held his phone in her hand, silently praying that she wouldn't look at the screen. "Let me find you some hand sanitizer…"

Souji sighed and tilted his seat back to tip his head. As he reached up to pinch his nose, he saw that Yosuke was still typing in a text and pushed the sent button. It was only when Yosuke looked at him and saw that he didn't have his phone that his face twisted up in a panic.

"Oh, Souji-kun, you got a message!" Souji heard Yukiko call to him. She reappeared over the top of her seat's headrest with the bottle of hand sanitizer in one hand and his phone in the other.

"I didn't look at it, don't worry," she said happily as she pressed the reject button. She took a quick glance at the screen and saw that Souji's unsent message to Chie was still up. "What's this? '_I overheard the girls behind me say that there's a rumor going on about Yukiko-san possibly liking Shirogane…'"_

She cast her face downward so her bangs covered her eyes. "Is this true?" she asked, her voice now small and devoid of the happiness that was in it moments before.

"Yukiko…" Chie whispered as her friend flopped back into her seat. "I promise that me, Souji-kun, Yosuke, and Kanji-kun will go out and find whoever—"

"They shall burn…" she heard her friend growl softly. With that, Chie felt the hairs on the back of her neck jump as a nervous smile crossed her face.

"Here, I'll give Souji-kun his phone back now…" Chie started, but Yukiko snapped the black phone shut and slowly fed it between their seats back to Souji.

_Poor Girlfriend…She's having another bout of 'Amagi Spite Syndrome.' … Amagi… Spite… She's suffering from 'ass'? That's so bad of me! She's pissed now, so how can I make a crack at…pffft, 'crack' at her 'ass'…SHADDAP! _He took it and opened it to delete the message but saw that at the bottom of the message Yukiko had added, "_Thank you"._

He stared at the message briefly before saving it and returning his phone into his pocket. _I think I'm gonna enjoy her 'ass' more…Tee-hee!_

…

During the long bus ride, Yukiko's energy from her rage somehow led her to a nap. Her friends soon followed suit, and when they all woke up, they began to talk about the things they might see at Port Island, the many differences between Inaba and the city, and their hopes of the trip not being as boring as they expected. Souji didn't care too much about how boring the trip would be but was more relieved that Yukiko seemed to have forgotten about the rumor.

Soon, the buses crossed the Moonlight Bridge, a massive structure that stretched over the ocean from Iwatodai to the artificial Port Island. Everyone pressed their faces up against the windows with cameras in hand, marveling at the view of the ocean right by the local high school. A few minutes later they pulled up in front of a gigantic high school, far larger than their own Yasogami High back in the country. When everyone stepped off the bus, they stretched briefly before walking through the gate to some people awaiting their arrival.

Everyone crowded the stone pathway leading to the front doors of the school, in awe of the sheer size of the building. They saw multiple separate buildings almost as big as the main one, and the courtyard in front was grassy with trees, planters and lamps lining the stone walkway. A lonely little gazebo sat off to the left side of the grassy area, almost unnoticeable due to the trees blocking its view.

"Whoa, what's up with this place…? This school's way too big! Wait, if we can't beat 'em in size, we're totally sunk…" Yosuke marveled as he looked from building to building. He and his friends were standing in front of their school's group while their teacher pushed to the front to stand by their welcoming committee. Souji looked towards the entrance of the school and saw a rather round man in a brown suit, yellow vest and red tie mopping his graying head with a handkerchief while his round glasses slid down his face from his sweat.

_That guy's gotta be broiling in all those layers,_ Souji noted. _Why's he all dressed up? It's freakin' hot!_

He then noticed the tall, slim figure of a girl wearing what appeared to be the uniform for the school they were visiting. Unlike the man next to her, the girl wasn't dripping with sweat and her long, brown hair fell delicately around her small face. Her glasses remained steady on her nose as she smiled at the group. Souji noticed that she, too, was wearing a jacket with her uniform. It was black with the school's crest over her left breast.

_What is with the people on this island? Is summer weather freezing to them? _Souji studied the two, mostly to keep from making eye contact with Kashiwagi.

The man stepped forward and introduced himself as the principal of Gekkoukan High School. He gave a small speech with a grand voice touched with a slight rasp, but most of the students, especially near the rear, were not paying attention.

"Well, uh, next I will explain about our fine educational institution and the reasons for its establishment! Uh, I'd like to start with a proverb… 'If a job's worth doing, it's worth doing well," the principal continued with his grand voice.

"Is this principal in love with his own voice or what…?" Chie yawned.

Next to her, Yukiko nudged her with an elbow. "Chie! He'll hear you!"

_But she has a point, Girlfriend. The guy sounds like a royal walrus,_ thought Souji._ And as for that proverb, he must really believe in it since he's putting so much energy into using his voice._

"Ah-hem…" The principal continued with his speech. "Our school is closed today, but, ahh, because of this rare opportunity for cultural exchange… Some of our students will walk you through these halls. First, though, a student body representative will say a few words…"

The girl by his side nodded and smiled. "Thank you, Principal!" She said with a light and cheery voice as she stepped forward. "Welcome to Gekkoukan High School. My name is Chihiro Fushimi. I'm a third-year student, and the Student Council President here at Gekkoukan. It's an honor to meet you all today."

"Holy crap, that girl's unbelievable!" Yosuke gasped, his eyes growing as he stared at Chihiro.

"Yeah, you're right… She is cute…" Kanji agreed as a tinge of pink appeared on his face.

"I gotta say… She's the most bewitching bespectacled beauty I've ever beheld…" continued Yosuke, still fixated on the girl.

Diagonally behind him on the right, Chie shook her head. "You guys… Stop overreacting!"

"This is the first time our school has invited another student body for a true cultural exchange," Chihiro continued, having not heard any of the whispered compliments of the boys. "To learn about others is to learn about oneself, and is the first step on the road to self-betterment… This I believe. To ensure a worthwhile experience for each and every one of you, we will do our best to help you accomplish that. So let us enjoy our time together! Thank you very much."

Everyone applauded, and Chihiro even received slighter louder applause from most of the boys. Some of the girls were silently groaning to themselves, feeling that they could hardly compete with a girl like her.

"…She beat me out in every category…" Chie sighed.

_As pretty and personable as she is, I doubt she'd make as good an eating buddy as you,_ Souji thought. _Odd…I don't hear any complaints from Girlfriend. Nah, she knows she could destroy the class prez hands down._

As the applause died down, Kashiwagi spoke up. "Alright, everyone get into groups with your classmates!"

The students quickly clustered together into smaller groups and began talking. Kanji remained with his group of senpai and began talking about the school, the principal's voice, and (to Chie's dismay) the Student Council President. At the mention of Chihiro, Souji glanced over to her and saw a frown upon her face.

"Oh no…!" he heard her say as she thumbed through some papers in her hands. She looked up, noticed that Souji was staring at her and approached him.

"Excuse me, could I bother you for a moment?" she asked as she handed him a stack of papers. "This is today's schedule for everyone. Could you hand it out later, please? I forgot to do it myself… Sorry to be so disorganized. And you all came so far…"

_She's clumsy like Girlfriend, but she handles the situation in a more…elegant manner. How boring._ "You're doing a great job," he told her as he took the papers, but she shook her head.

"No… I'm still struggling. Even with everyone's support, I'm barely pulling through. I used to get nervous very easily…and I once had a phobia of men, too. In fact, I didn't write the speech on my own. One of the former student Council Presidents helped me. She was the president my first year here, and she was amazing…. I always looked up to her. I should call her later and tell her the speech was a success!"

_Hey, Girlriend? Who talks too much now? And did she really need to tell me about her androphobia? She does realize that by telling people her fears, she's only encouraging them to freak her out, right?_ Souji looked down at the itinerary as the girl continued to talk. She seemed to get the hint and abruptly stopped.

"Oh, I'm sorry! Listen to me, going on and on about myself… I have to stop babbling when I get nervous. Um, your group is scheduled for a special lecture soon. The classroom is on the second floor. I have some arrangements to make with your student council, so please excuse me," she said quickly with a nod and walked back inside the school.

_Come back…Tell me more of your insecurities…_Souji thought with a fake, pitiful longing. His friends all gathered around him to look at the papers in his hands.

"Did I just hear her say 'special lecture'?" Yosuke wondered aloud. "We came all this way to be lectured!"

As he expressed his disappointment, Yukiko came around to Souji's left and looked over the itinerary in his hand. "Let's see, our class is… It's being taught by someone named Mr. Edogawa. The lecture's about Quabbalah…"

"Kabawhat?" Chie asked.

"You don't know? It's a casino," Kanji told her confidently. He didn't understand that the smiles his upperclassmen gave him were out of pity.

Frowning, Yosuke looked back to Souji. "So… When's our free period?"

Chie looked over the paper. "Uhh… We don't get one."

Both Yosuke and Kanji groaned while Chie read off the paper the schedule for the next few days. "We have classes all through today. Tonight and tomorrow, we'll be staying at a hotel… We'll have free time tomorrow and the day after, until we leave at noon."

"You gotta be kidding me…" Yosuke grieved while smacking a palm to his face.

"Come on, guys!" Yukiko said with a grin. "Let's focus on our studies for now, so we can enjoy our free time later!"

_It makes so much sense now why Konohana-Sakuya looked like a cheerleader,_ Souji thought with his own frown. _It's cute that you're trying to encourage us, but hell, even I don't wanna study right now._

The students were divided into their homerooms and led to different classrooms. The entrance of the school was all glass, with three glass double doors leading to a spacious area for the school's shoe lockers. Beyond that, there were two large archways to the left and right leading to different hallways. On the right side there were some boards on the wall with a schedule for the semester. Thick marble columns stood firmly in the ground, and a white staircase rising towards the right wall led upstairs. On the left wall was a counter shaped like a large 'U' with shelves holding various foods, drinks and other supplies.

On the way to the second floor, Souji saw bright flashes from students' cameras every now and then and realized that none of his past schools were anywhere near as nice as this. They were led up the rear staircase and into the middle classroom, the students sitting in the same arrangement as they would back in their own school.

The classroom had grey walls with white and dull blue checkered tiles. A large flat-screen television was hanging from the ceiling in the upper left-hand corner of the classroom by the chalk board. The desks had white table tops with an extra curve on the right side where students could rest their arms as they took notes. The chairs were red and made of hard plastic and molded to their figures, much more comfortable than their old wooden ones that looked like they had been around for decades. Bright sunlight poured in through the large windows warming all that the beams touched, but the students weren't bothered at all, for the air conditioning kept them perfectly cool inside.

At the front of the class was a wide, grey and white podium. Behind it stood a thin man wearing a yellow T-shirt, brown shorts and brown sandals. He wore a lab coat with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and his eyes were hidden behind thick glasses. He kept a wooden pencil behind his ear that stuck out far beyond his face, and his short, black hair stuck out in all directions. He seemed to have difficulty keeping his right hand away from his neck, as though he had an itch or a pain that needed tending to.

"Welcome… Nice to meet you all," the man said once everyone was seated. "A meeting is only the beginning stage of parting, the Alpha and the Omega… My name is Edogawa, and I'll be keeping you company for this period. You are all from Yasogami High, eh…? Aaah, a high school of many gods. I had considered a lecture on Qabbalah philosophy…but I have a better idea. Eeeheehee… Since I was able to meet you all today, I shall tell you a story of pairings. One could say that this is Japan's oldest tale of curses. You all know about the gods who created this country, I assume?"

He paused for a moment to let them answer, but everyone remained silent, still staring at him. "The two gods who gave birth to his country are the god Izanagi and the goddess Izanami. They got along very well… But one day, Izanami died while giving birth to Kagutsuchi, the fire god. Extremely saddened by this, Izanagi left for the land of the dead to bring back Izanami. Yomi… The dark, dark underworld… There Izanagi asked Izanami, who had become a dweller in that land of the shadows, to come back with him to the land above.

"The goddess replied by saying she would negotiate with the god of the underworld, and asked Izanagi to wait for her. However…"

_We've heard this story hundreds of times when we were kids! Why're we being lectured on it?_ Souji tapped his finger on his desk impatiently as he listened to the lecture. _We already know that Izanagi wanted to take Izanami back home to make him a sammich, but she had to go ask her pimp. When she took forever to come back, Izanagi went all, "Where mah betch at?" and went to get her with a flaming comb, only to see her without her make-up on. Then Izanami went ape shit on him and sent out some flying monkeys, but Izanagi stopped her with a boulder._

_ "That's disrespect, yo!" Izanami yelled at him. "For gettin' all up in my biznatch, I'ma have a genocide of a thousand humans a day!"_

_ "Girl, you crazy," Izanagi replied. "I'll jus' hafta give birth fifteen hundred times a day!"_

_ And then Izanagi realized how painful that would be and greatly regretted his words,_ Souji thought, very much preferring his interpretation of the story.

_Sometimes I wonder if I made a mistake birthing you, boy._

Souji bolted up straight in his chair, unsure if that was his own thoughts he had just heard. _Okaaaaay…Maybe I shouldn't talk to myself so much. I'm starting to hear things in my head that I don't remember thinking…_

To be safe, he returned his concentration on the lecture, where the teacher had just finished the story. "Thousands die, and ten thousands are born. That is the curse upon this country. …Many of you may have already known this famous story. Now, the etymology… The names Izanagi and Izanami come from the word 'izanau,' which means to invite.' I'd be delighted if you have accepted this story today as an 'invitation' to acquiring knowledge.

"That reminds me…" Edogawa said slowly as he stroked his stubble-covered chin. "In the olden days, people took this story seriously… Things such as lighting only one fire at night and throwing combs were taboo. By the way, at Hana no Iwaya, the grave where Izanami is said to have descended to the underworld… To this day, people decorate it with flowers when they told festivals nearby. It may be merely ceremonial, but everyone wants to look beautiful. It's how they show their consideration to the goddess who may feel that way. Eeeheehee…"

The bell rang, and Edogawa began to rub his neck again. "Ahhh, is our time up already? I may have gone on too long… Eeeheehee…"

The students filed out of the room, some rubbing the sleep out of their eyes. They were led up and down the halls by the Student Council President for a tour of the school and its facilities, and while everyone was snapping pictures, whispering to one another and marveling at how much better everything was than their own school, Souji was still trying to figure out if the voice he had heard was his or not.

…

Hours later, the sun had finally set and night was taking over. The street lamps were alight, and three charter buses pulled up into a somewhat shady sort of neighborhood. Hotels lined the streets with their neon lights lighting up the black sky while mountains of filled trash bags were piled outside the hotels near the entrances. When the buses parked, the drivers hopped out and began to unload the bags while the teachers told their classes that they were done for the day.

"Alrighty, here we are. The Seaside Clamshell Inn. We'll be staying here tonight," Kashiwagi told her students once they had their bags in their hands. She held a hand out towards a tall hotel surrounded by a brick wall that had a small opening with a fancy arch above it, centered with a heart shape. The hotel was made with a similar design of the brick wall and had a glass automatic sliding door. Above the door in light blue lights was a sign that read the name of the hotel.

"Is this…really a regular hotel…?" A female student asked as she eyed the hotel. Other students began to grumble about their teacher's choice.

"So, what do you think? It was me who found this place. It just opened not too long ago. It's got that modern look—and the price was right! Personally, I think it was an excellent choice," Kashiwagi grinned, ignoring her students' remarks.

"We're staying here…?"

"I mean the sign says 'hotel,' but…"

"It opened recently…? Dude, this totally looks like a lov—"

Their teacher flashed a glare at all her students. "You there! Don't just stand there! Keep marching in."

She led the way into the hotel with most of her class following reluctantly. Bringing up the rear was Souji and the rest of the "Investigation Crew" with their bags in their hands. They all stopped and stared at the hotel and sensed that it wasn't all that it seemed.

"Isn't there something funny about this place…?" Yosuke pondered aloud.

"Is there? We don't have these modern hotels in Inaba, so I can't tell," Chie said, seeing nothing wrong with the structure.

Rise, glad to finally be back with everyone, blushed as she recalled her knowledge of Port Island. "Um… this area is called 'Shirakawa Boulevard' and it's—"

She was cut off by Yosuke waving a hand. "Th-That's all right, Rise-chan. I don't think I wanna know…"

They continued to ogle at the building when they heard a voice from above them. "Hmhmhm… Faster than I expected… This is quite the hotel. If they were to meet me… I wonder, what would the look on Yosuke's face be…?"

_Oh my gawd, the voices! They're after me!_ Souji screamed in his mind, but outwardly he just shrugged and looked around for the source of the voice with everyone else.

"Who's that!" Yosuke yelled in surprise and looked up. Across the one-way street atop the neighboring hotel was a short figure with a big head. "Look! Up there!"

His friends all turned and craned their necks to see the figure holding and stroking a stray cat. Yukiko gasped and whispered, "It can't be…!"

The figure set down the cat, and with a yell, it leapt off the building and landed in a pile of trash. The group all cocked their heads and watched as Teddie in his bear suit bounced up to them.

"Hmhmhm… Shoo bee doo bee…" he sang in a jazzy tune with a smile on his bear face.

"Teddie! What're you doing here!" Kanji yelled as he lowered his fists.

"The lonely bear inside of me went stir crazy!" Teddie cried, his big eyes reflecting his anger.

"Grrr… If only I could detect people in the real world…" Rise muttered darkly.

"How did you come here! Do you have some special ability!" Chie asked as they watched the bear pull trash off of himself.

"No, I took the train." Teddie struggled to pluck trash off of his head with his stubby little arms so Yukiko stepped up and helped him out. "I swore off Topsicles and saved up the money I got working at Junes. I knew where you were going, thanks to Yosuke's 'Trip Guide.' You guys have free time tomorrow, right? No use hiding it! I already know!"

"How in the world did you make it here looking like that…? I mean, why wear the bear suit here?" Yosuke asked.

After Yukiko had pulled off most of the trash, Teddie thanked her and turned to Yosuke, pulling a pitiable face. "I almost got thrown in the trash a couple times. But I kept hanging onto the promise Chie-chan made to go on a date with me! That's what gave me the strength to carry on!"

Chie soon found many pairs of eyes boring into her. "Uh, g-good job, Teddie… D-Did I promise that…? Oh yeah… I do remember saying that I'd go out with you someday…"

Teddie raised his paws in a happy sort of dance. "Wheeeee! You remembered, Chie-chan! Is it okay with Yuki-chan and Rise-chan, too!"

_Lord Rochester wastes no time in getting with the ladies,_ Souji noted.

Yukiko patted his big, blue head and smiled. "Let's all go together, then. Is that all right with you?"

Teddie stared wide-eyed at her, not entirely happy with her request but agreed anyway. "Mmm… It's a deal!"

_Yay, group date with Girlfriend…and Mistress, and Puppy, and the Anti-Maiden, and Lord Rochester, and Mr. Fabulous…_

"I've been here before, so I'll show you around tomorrow. I guess we can go shopping first. And I know a great place we can hit later on," Rise offered.

"Ooh, shopping. That sounds great!" Teddie said happily.

"The other students don't know Port Island that well, so they're just gonna go wherever the school recommends," Chie added, appreciating that they had someone who knew the area.

"Well, I guess a shopping spree beats a factory tour. Alright, we're in, too," Yosuke agreed, also glad to have Rise with them.

Rise chuckled. "Leave it to me."

"Now…before the fun starts…sigh… We gotta deal with this guy," Yosuke said with a frown as he nodded towards Teddie.

"Can't you sleep outside for the night? That suit should keep ya nice and cozy," Kanji suggested, but Teddie's ears flopped downward.

"Cruelty to animals! You don't know how much trouble I went through to get here! I took the slow train all this way! Do you hear! The slow train!" He screeched sadly.

With all of Teddie's shrill expressions of his adventure to Port Island, the sound of high heels clicking loudly on cement came out from the hotel as Kashiwagi went to see what was wrong.

"Now now, you kids aren't bickering about your room allocations, are you?" she asked with arms folded across her chest.

"Crap…!" Chie whispered as her eyes shifted to Teddie. Their teacher saw the dread on her students' faces and raised an eyebrow.

"What's the matter?" she asked and soon spotted Teddie. With a smile, she walked over to him and petted him.

"…Oh? What's this giant teddy bear?" she cooed, and her students held their breath, unsure of how to explain their friend.

"I made it today in class," they heard Souji say casually, and Kashiwagi stared at him hungrily.

"My… You must have some nimble fingers…," she chuckled as she eyed his hands. To everyone she said, "Alright, now hurry on inside with it. By the way, these rooms are amazing. Every room has a waterbed! But don't flip the wrong switch when you're turning on the lights, or your bed will start spinning."

She returned inside the hotel, completely missing her students' shoulders drooping with disapproval of what they were to find in their rooms. Only Yukiko seemed to not fully understand the true purpose of the odd bed functions.

"A-Anyways, I'm looking forward to tomorrow…" Chie said hastily.

"Yeah, but I'm exhausted… For so many reasons…" Yosuke yawned and led the way inside the hotel. Everyone but Souji and Teddie remained outside, Teddie having not moved since Kashiwagi first appeared.

_Silly bear…Love hotels are for…actually, that's icky._ Souji stepped in front of the bear and bopped him on the head, but he kept still. _Not bad as a stuffed animal. He even survived getting tainted by Kashiwagi…Not to mention the trash, the slow train, and the non-Topsicle diet…Aw, m'lord loves us!_

A bright flash of white light flooded Souji's eyes and he felt warmth spread throughout him as a card with the Star Arcana appeared to him. It soon faded and his view of Teddie and the hotels around him returned to view. _I guess that means our bond just got tighter…_

The two stared at each other for a moment until Teddie suddenly said, "…I gotta pee."

_CRAP!_ Souji quickly started shoving Teddie towards the hotel, but the bear wouldn't budge! He threw him over his shoulder and picked up his luggage before nonchalantly walking into the hotel. He could feel the stares of other students and inhabitants of the hotel, but he ignored them and continued towards the stairs where Yosuke was waiting for him with their room key. As they disappeared up the stairs, Teddie gave a little wave to a couple that had just walked in.

…

The hotel was shaped like a square, where the hallway was one giant square that looped all the way around. In the middle of the square was one large room, and the outer square was lined with smaller ones. The teachers took the middle rooms while the students were in the outer ones. The boys were on the first two floors while girls were on the upper floors, and Souji was grateful that his room was just on the second floor. Once inside, he set Teddie down and stretched.

Inside, there was only one large circular bed. A small bathroom was off to the side, and next to it was a large mirror. Yosuke was shaking his head and muttering under his breath at the sleeping arrangements while Teddie hopped out of his bear suit and flopped onto the waterbed.

"Look, Sensei! It's squishy!" he laughed as he bobbed up and down.

"Dude, you were just in a pile of trash! Go take a bath first!" Yosuke barked as he grabbed the covers and flipped Teddie off the bed. The blonde boy scurried into the bathroom, dragging his bear suit in with him to clean and the sound of the shower running came to life.

"So, how're we gonna do this?" Yosuke asked Souji.

Souji stared at the round bed, then the floor. He held out a fist and lightly pounded his own palm. "Loser gets to share the bed with Teddie," he said.

"You're on," Yosuke replied with a determined grin, and the two pounded their fists into an open palm twice before shaping their hand into a fist, an open hand, or their index and middle fingers pointing out. Yosuke let out a yell of victory.

"Sweet! Paper beats rock! Don't forget about that trick switch Kashiwagi mentioned earlier!" he teased as he pulled a sheet from the bed and started setting up his make-shift bed on the floor.

_Does anyone else find it funny that out of all of us, the puppy is the one sleeping on the floor?_ Souji shrugged and claimed the second pillow for himself as he set up his side of the bed.

"Oh, hey, Seta? Do you think that rumor about Yukiko-san's true?" Yosuke asked as he fluffed his pillow. "But then, she looked pretty pissed on the bus when she found out, so…"

"I guess she really doesn't like Shirogane, then," Souji replied. "I wonder what made people think that she liked him." _Unless that Kirishima guy said something…_

"Rumors do spread quickly in Inaba, so chances are someone overheard someone talk about it and spread it around."

_Well, yeah. As I said before: that's how rumors get spread._ Souji pulled another pillow from the bed and placed it in the middle of the bed to act as a divider for him and Teddie.

"Hey, you think Kanji's got some extra animal crackers he's willing to share?" Yosuke asked as he finished setting up his bed and started digging around in his bag.

"Doubtful." Souji delved back into his thoughts thinking of other possibilities where people could have overheard such a rumor. "Hey, remember when we were in Junes last week and we were talking about Shirogane and the murders? You poked fun at Yukiko-san then for supposedly liking 'younger men,' remember?"

"Yeah, but that was just a joke!" Yosuke laughed uncomfortably. "No way anyone would take that seriously…right?"

_Dammit, what was it that that girl said on the bus?_ Souji started poking at his forehead furiously. _"Yeah! I didn't think it was true either, but someone told me that she likes him, too! They overheard someone at Junes talk about it!"_

_ZO…MY…Golly jingle boots! _ "HA…NA…MU…RA…" Souji growled. Yosuke snapped his head up towards his friend.

"Yo, what's up?"

"The girl said that the person who told her about the rumor overheard someone at Junes talk about it…" Souji said slowly with a twisted grin on his face.

"Yeah, so what…uh oh…" Yosuke's face fell at the realization of what he had just done.

"You know what that means?"

His friend seemed to have frozen from the shock. "I-I-I'm…gonna burn…"

Souji patted his friend's shoulder. "You're fine, so long as they don't find out."

"You're right! Ha, ha, ha…" Yosuke laughed weakly. "Aw man, thanks for not…HEY!"

He watched as Souji whipped out his phone and started to frantically text something. "Dude, no!"

The silver-haired boy pressed a button, and his phone beeped before he snapped it shut. Yosuke's face drained of its color while Souji sat down on the bed with a blank expression. When he noticed that his friend was staring at him with his mouth open, he smiled.

"All I did was delete those messages about the rumor. Did you really think that I'd tell them what you did?"

Looking like he was about to cry, Yosuke let out a few strangled noises before talking. "Do you know what'll happen if they find out? Not only will Yukiko-san torch me to death, but Chie's gonna shove her foot so far up my ass that—"

Souji snorted at the thought. "I've been on the near-receiving end of Chie-chan's Galactic Punt, so I know that telling the both of them something like that is guaranteed to take out a sizeable chunk of the city."

Nodding in agreement, Yosuke shakily got to his feet and went over to his bag by the door. "Y-Yeah…It's one thing to see Chie pissed, but when we saw Yukiko-san that day inside the TV with that Kubo guy…"

His voice trailed off as he searched in his bag for some things. "Anyways, I hope Teddie doesn't hog all the hot water…"

While Yosuke pounded on the bathroom door, Souji's phone buzzed in his pocket. He opened it to find a new message.

_"Sweet dreams, Boyfriend!"_ Was what the message read, and Souji clicked his phone shut.

_Silly Puppy…all I did was text Yukiko-san 'good-night'. I'm not that big of a dick. Well, if we're talking about physically…wait, no, that's inappropriate._

He then went over to his own bag and pulled out the small shrine charm he had received from Yukiko over the summer. As Yosuke and Teddie argued through the door, Souji snuck the charm under his pillow and patted it flat to hide it.

…

The next day was spent touring the island. They saw everything from the local shrine, to the strip mall by the Iwatodai Station, to Port Island Station and to Paulownia Mall. They rode the train from Iwatodai that was set on a rail that was set high above the ocean on its way to Port Island. From the train, they had a clear view of the island down below as it floated on the bright blue ocean, and once again, the many flashes from the students' cameras bombarded the scenery.

After a long day of touring, Rise led them back to Paulownia Mall, a circular building lined with a coffee shop, a karaoke bar, a jewelry store, an arcade, a music store, a police station, and a night club. In the center was a large fountain with a few benches set around it, and Souji had to fight the need to jump in it to escape the summer heat.

"You guys will love this place!" Rise said with a huge grin as she threw open the double doors to Club Escapade. They stepped into the darkened room with colorful lights dancing around. A large area in the middle had a few people older than them dancing to booming music. At the far wall opposite the front door was a stage with speakers as tall as Kanji standing behind it, but there was no band playing on it. The speakers buzzed and cast shockwaves of sound that were just loud enough to allow everyone to talk without yelling too loudly at one another. In the center of the dance floor was the word "Escapade" in English calligraphy.

_Alas! A bar!_ Souji thought with fake glee as he spotted the small bar and its stools off to the left side of the room. On the right side were a few tables, but not enough to seat them all.

"Whoa…! So this is a club…!" Kanji said, following the lights dancing on the wall.

"Whoo! I'm totally ready for this!" Chie cheered.

"There's nothing like this back home…" Yukiko gasped, her head turning every which way.

The group turned to their left and saw Naoto descend the staircase that led to an upper floor. Seeing the group, he stopped at the bottom of the stairs and placed a hand on his hip.

"Is it permitted for high school students such as yourselves to be here?" he said in a condescending tone.

"Wh-What! Dude, look who's talking! You were here before we were!" Yosuke yelled over the music. "That's right… I guess if the first-years came on the trip, you'd be here too…"

The tiny boy shrugged, shaking off Yosuke's argument. "The clientele here seems above-board, so I don't expect there'll be any problems."

He took a few steps towards the door when Chie stopped him. "Huh? You're leaving?"

"Why don't you join us?" Yukiko offered.

_And this is why rumors like that got spread, Girlfriend,_ Souji thought bitterly. _You're too nice to people._

"Are you…asking me to stay?" the detective asked, and Yukiko nodded.

"Uh-huh. We didn't get to chat last time," she said with a welcoming smile.

"Ah…I… I-It's just that I had some matters to attend to that day," he replied, tipping his hat downward to hide his face.

"Well, you're free now, right? I was really eager to talk to you. I'm curious how someone my age is working as a detective," Rise added with her own bright smile. The combined invitations of Rise and Yukiko caused a pink tinge to appear on his cheeks.

"How about it?" Yukiko asked, and Naoto accepted.

"Hmmm… Very well, if you insist," he answered, holding the bill of his hat to use his arm to shield his face.

"Huh? What's up? You look a little red…" Yosuke teased, and Naoto emitted a strangled noise from his throat.

"Th-That's not true!" He shouted over the music, his face burning brighter.

Rise giggled at Naoto's embarrassment and turned to everyone. "Wait here. I'll go reserve the area upstairs for us."

"Okay," Yosuke agreed, until he realized what she had said. "Wait, what! Reserve!"

"Yep. Don't worry, I think I can pull some strings," she told him as she went off to find the manager.

_Whoot! The Anti-Maiden's busting loose and bringing us booze!_ Souji cheered in his mind while Yosuke turned and saw Kanji facing away from the rest of the group and bent over at the waist.

"What's wrong, man? Stomach pains?" Yosuke asked the teen.

Kanji glanced over his shoulder and quickly looked away. "Th-That ain't it."

Soon after, Rise came back with the bartender holding a tray full of colorful drinks. She led them upstairs to a small, open room where a long red sofa lined the wall on the left, extending almost all the way to the far wall opposite the stairs. A shorter, similar sofa lined the far wall adjacent to the first sofa. A round, glass table sat close to the corner where the two sofas met, and others just like it were placed in other areas of the room with simple red chairs set up next to them. The bartender set the tray of drinks on the table in the corner by the sofas and placed the drinks onto the table, taking the tray back in his hands and bowing to Rise with a smile.

On the long couch from left to right sat Souji, Kanji, Teddie, Yukiko and Chie. On the shorter sofa sat Naoto, Rise and Yosuke. Souji observed that Yosuke seemed a lot happier now since Rise decided to sit next to him.

"To memories of youth!" Teddie announced as he held his glass of colorful drink up high. Everyone else took up their glasses and clicked them against each others' in a cheerful toast. Souji took a sip and tasted a tangy pineapple soda.

"Are you sure this is all right? Isn't it expensive…?" Chie asked Rise while sipping her drink.

Rise took a gulp from her drink before answering. "No worries. Two years ago when I had a secret show here, the power went out in the middle of it, and the gig was cancelled. They still owe me from then, so they're willing to put this one on the house."

"Well in that case, I'm gonna order more," Chie said as she took a large swig of her drink.

"Whooooo! I'm not gonna hold back, either!" Teddie whooped with his arms in the air.

Kanji leaned away from Teddie's flailing arms. "Dude… You sound even weirder today…"

Teddie put his arms down and gave him a hurt look. "Awww, you're sho cold, Kanji…"

_Did he just slur his words? _Souji took another sip of his drink and he watched the boy carefully.

"Hm…Kanji?" Teddie said slowly. "Kanji, Kanji… I Kanj-ecture that shomething's up! Heeheehee, that's a great one!"

As he gave a hearty laugh, Yosuke grimaced. "Man, you're already in high gear…"

A small giggle next to Teddie turned into a full-blown laugh fest as Yukiko joined in. "Kanj-ecture…Snrk… Bwahahaha!"

"She's looser'n usual too…" Kanji muttered, pointing at Yukiko with his pinky as he held his drink.

"Hey, wait a sec! Are these liquor…!" Yosuke asked in alarm as he stared at his drink.

"I-I told 'em to give us soft drinks! They're no-alcoholic!" Rise told him with a bright red face. "Hmmm…I told them. Really, I did! Really!"

Everyone watched as she placed her face in her hands and started to sob.

"Aw, sheesh… I was wondering why it's so hot…" Chie said as she tugged on her sailor collar.

"Is this seriously booze?" Kanji questioned as he sniffed his drink. "But the smell's—"

Kanji was interrupted when Rise shot to her feet with her fist raised. "King's Gaaaaaaame!" she cried, startling everybody. "Times like this, adults play the King's Game. It's the law…"

_Yeah, she's not drunk at all,_ Souji thought sarcastically as the girl hiccupped sharply. _And Teddie's always like that. And heck, Girlfriend's just probably having a really good day…Who am I kidding—they're all drunk._

"What's their problem…? They make me act like a ditz, call me Risette and stuff, and then say I'm a kid…" Rise whined with a few more hiccups in between. "It's sooo obvious… Those wrap parties get a lot funner after I go home! Morooons! I'm gonna play the King's Game now and ain't no one gonna stop me!"

_You said it, Sistah!_ Souji cheered with a raised glass before taking another swig.

"Yet another side of Rise exposed… I wonder if she knows what she's saying…" Yosuke mumbled as she swayed uneasily next to him.

"Kanjiiiii! Get the chopsticks ready!" She commanded as she picked up her drink.

"Wha—! Why me…?" the big teen asked fearfully.

"The King's word is law! Chop-chop!" she informed him loudly as she sloshed her drink onto the floor.

"I-It's already started!" Yosuke asked with worry written on his face.

Kanji ran down the stairs to retrieve the chopsticks while the others were left to watch the supposed drunks laugh and down more of their drinks. When Kanji came back, he had several pairs of chopsticks in his hand and was closely followed by the same bartender from earlier holding another tray full of more colorful drinks.

"U-Um… What's this King's Game again?" Chie asked nervously once their table was refreshed with new drinks. Rise was instructing Kanji from across the table on what to do with the chopsticks.

"Okay… one chopstick makes you the King if you draw it, and the others have numbers on 'em…" Yukiko explain with half-lidded eyes and a huge grin. "The king picks a number and says what that person has to do. But who has which number is a secret until the King gives the orders!"

_Is there anything she does that isn't adorable?_ Souji wondered as Yukiko giggled. _Aw, I think I like Drunken Yukiko now, too…_

"Senpai, you're such an adult! You tell 'em!" Rise encouraged her, her head snapping back as a strong hiccup escaped her.

"Y-Yukiko! Where'd you learn this stuff!" Chie questioned her friend, who was now swiveling her upper body in a slow circle.

"C'mon, everyone draw!" Rise urged as she motioned for Kanji to hold out the bundle of chopsticks. Everyone randomly selected a stick and examined what they drew.

_Number six, huh? But I wanna be King,_ Souji thought glumly.

"Okay, sooooo… Who's the King?" Rise asked, and Teddie jumped to his feet.

"Teddie's is red! Red! Is Teddie the King?" He screamed excitedly.

_Everyone say 'no!' We're in mortal peril right now!_ Souji turned his chopstick in his fingers anxiously as everyone else (that wasn't drunk) wished the same thing.

"Ugh, we're already doomed from the get-go…" Yosuke moaned before starting on his second drink.

Teddie held his right hand over his chest while his left hand was raised to his shoulder with a finger pointed to the air. "I, the King, command thee to smooth the King without delay! Smoooooooch!"

"S-S-S-Smooch?" Chie scooted further down the seat as far as she could to get away from Teddie.

"Please God… Grant me a girl! Number three!" he shouted, and everyone scrambled to recheck their chopsticks.

"Gyaaaah!" screamed Kanji as he leapt out of his seat, and Teddie pouted when he saw who he had chosen.

"I meant Number Two…" he said quickly as he eyed the girls.

"No take-backs!" Yosuke scolded, his arms that were folded across his chest loosening from the relief of not being picked.

"Smooch, smooooch!" Yukiko chanted before taking another sip of her drink.

Teddie turned back to a bewildered Kanji and looked at him with his watery-blue eyes. "K-Kanji… So you _were_ after my fuzzy fur! Okay, but it's my first time! Be gentle…!"

The larger boy barely had any time to throw his hands in front of himself before Teddie tackled him to the ground. "Whoa! Ow, quit that! Don't make me flatten you, dammit!"

They struggled on the floor, toppling the table next to theirs in the scuffle.

"Aaaagh! Noooo! Heeeelp!" Kanji screamed, his massive hands holding on tightly to Teddie's face as his puckered lips inched closer to his mouth.

_Ouch…M'Lord Rochester doesn't discriminate when it comes to smooching…_ Souji and his friends stared helplessly as Teddie attacked Kanji's mouth, rendering him motionless as he snuggled into his neck. _Aw, an after-smooch cuddle? He's not such a manwhore after all._

"Ohooo… Only the first round, and two contestants have dropped out already," Rise snickered behind a hand.

Chie stared at the junior in horror. "Huh? Is it that kind of game?"

Ignoring her, Rise hopped back onto her feet. "On to round two!"

They recollected the chopsticks, leaving Kanji and Teddie on the floor where they lay. Rise held her fist full of chopsticks out to everyone as they cautiously drew their next number.

_Bow before your new king!_ Souji thought powerfully when he saw that he had drawn the one with the red mark. He slumped back against the seat confidently and relaxed a bit.

"Who's the King?" Rise asked as everyone's eyes darted from friend to friend.

Souji raised his hand lazily, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

"Phew, someone decent… No crazy orders this time…" Chie sighed with a comforted smile.

"That's not how it goes!" Yukiko said, killing her best friend's hopes. "If the last King demanded a smooch, then the next order's gotta be more extreme. Chiiieee, don't be such a party pooper… Ahahahaha!"

_It was cute before, but now I'm a little scared…_ Souji remained slouching in his seat, wondering what he should make what number do.

"Heyyy! The person who gets picked should have to rest their head on the King's lap," Rise suggested hopefully, scaring her friends again.

"Nah, make 'em sit on his lap," Yukiko added, flapping a hand at her with her drink in her other hand.

"Oh! Or they could have to hug him!"

"Better than that… A piggyback ride!"

The two giggled maniacally while everyone else seemed to shrink into themselves. Rise looked across the room at Souji and asked, "C'mon, King! Who's gonna do what!"

_I'm glad you two are bonding over wanting to do stuff to me, but that's just…_ He saw everyone staring at him with fearful eyes, eager to know what he was planning to do. _Uh…okay…I don't think I want someone's junk on my neck if I give a piggyback ride. Also, I don't want a guy to sit on my lap, nor do I want him to lay on my lap…at least a hug is harmless, right? A good old-fashioned, harmless, nothing-could-go-wrong hug._

"The King demands a hug from…" Souji shifted his eyes from one friend to the next as he decided on a number. _Don't be a dude!_ "Number three."

"Ahaha, I'm number three!" Yukiko laughed grandly as she got to her feet.

_Thank god…_ Souji thought with a sigh as Yukiko wobbled over to him. She stood before him briefly when her smile broadened even more.

_That can't be a good look,_ he thought as Yukiko hooked her right arm around his neck and settled into his lap. She wrapped her left arm around his neck as well and gave him a tight hug.

"Y-Yukiko-san!" Yosuke sputtered in disbelief while Chie did a small fist pump under the table.

"How else would you hug someone who's sitting down?" Yukiko giggled slyly. "Right, Boyfriend?"

"BOYFRIEND?" Everyone leapt to their feet except for Naoto and Souji, who was still weighted down with Yukiko.

"No way! You guys are DATING?" Chie shrieked with glee.

"Well, you're always trying to push us together, _Mistress,_" Yukiko answered, still having not released Souji.

_Oh my gawd…we are sooo…SCREWED!_ Souji looked away from all his friends, mostly because Yukiko's bright red face was towards their direction and he felt awkward looking at her.

"'_Mistress'?_ What are you—"

"Dude! You and Yukiko-san? I thought she liked Na—" Yosuke started, but Yukiko waved a hand at him.

"Settle down, Puppy! It's nothing to get all excited about," she laughed.

Rise walked over to them on shaky legs and spilled some of her drink on Souji's knee. "Heeeey, Senpai! I wanna turn to give 'im a hug!"

"Hush, _Maiden_! A good maiden always waits her turn," Yukiko reprimanded playfully.

_Please stop talking, Girlfriend…_ Souji begged silently as he felt her snuggle her head against his shoulder. _How am I gonna cover this up?_

With all the commotion, Kanji and Teddie returned from their "snuggle" on the floor.

"Hey, wha'd I miss?" Kanji asked, rubbing his head where he had banged it on the floor.

"I'm _faaaaaaaabulous,_ _Mr. Faaaaaaaabulous_!" Yukiko greeted as she sat up in Souji's lap. "Are you doing _faaaaaaaabulously_?"

"Haha, Yuki-chan! You shound sho funny!" Teddie hooted.

"You sound silly too, m'Lord Rochester!" she laughed with him as Chie came up and tried to pry her off of their friend.

"Chiiieee, this round's not over yet," Yukiko whined as she slid off of Souji's lap. "I thought you wanted us to be together…?"

"Well yeah, but not when you're like this," she said as she led her back to her seat. "Sorry, everyone. She likes to give things strange names sometimes."

"Like your dog, right?" Souji piped up. "She mentioned that she wanted to name him 'Chosokabe' but couldn't."

"Yeah…But, I don't know where these names came from."

"Must be the drinks," Souji muttered as everyone returned to their seats. _No way they'll buy that excuse._

"We should invite _'The Boyfriends'_ next time, Souji-kun," Yukiko giggled, reaching for her glass and knocking a few others over.

"Whoo! Yuki-chan's scorin' with all the guys!" Teddie cheered and held a hand out to Kanji to high-five. Kanji just stared at the small hand in disbelief.

"Yukiko, you're going out with guys other than Souji-kun?" Chie asked, worried what her friend had become.

"You know…'The Boyfriends' like…Kou-san and Daisuke-san…" she replied, ticking their names off on her fingers. "And Souji-kun's a _boyfriend,_ too."

"Senpai, teach me your ways of scoring with guys!" Rise stood up and held one of Yukiko's hands in both of hers. "Please accept me as your apprentice!"

Yosuke scratched his head. "So, when she said 'boyfriends' did she just mean…boys that are friends?"

_No, she meant MY boyfriends, Ichijo and Nagase. _Souji tugged on his clothes to smooth them out. He froze briefly when he realized something. _Did I just refer to them as MY boyfriends? _

Back in her seat, Yukiko had gulped more of her drink and was laughing more than ever. "Ahahaha, me next! Me! I'm the King! Actually, the Queen!"

"You didn't even draw a chopstick!" Yelled Yosuke, cringing at how out of control everything had gotten.

"Alright then… Let's have someone talk about something really embarrassing that they'd never wanna tell anyone! Hrmmm, let's see… Ah! Naoto-kun! I choose you!" Yukiko said as she pointed at the detective, who had been silently observing everyone until now.

"She's breaking all the rules… Just ignore her, Naoto-kun," Yosuke muttered to him behind Rise's back.

"No… No, that won't be necessary. One stipulation, though: If I do this, the rest of you must reveal something as well," he negotiated, and everyone that was still sober fell silent.

"Okaaay!" Rise agreed readily, and the sober friends felt tiny pinpricks on the back of their necks.

Naoto nodded, accepting her answer to be unanimous. "Not particularly embarrassing experiences come to mind… Would discussing my life be fair game? It's the rare situation like this that gives me call to speak of such things."

"Damn… Way to kill the mood…" Yosuke grabbed his drink and sat back, knowing that he wasn't going to enjoy what he was about to hear.

_He's telling his life story? For real?_ Souji sat forward and picked up his own drink, this time a cherry-flavored soda.

"The Shirogane family has been detectives for generations now. We lend our powers to the police from time to time," Naoto started with a smug look on his face. Off to the side, Souji finished his drink and reached for another one.

"For generations? Wow, it's like that guy from a movie I watched before. What was his name… Kazu…noha?" Chie tried to recall the name, but figured that she would just drop the subject to let Naoto continue.

"In days gone by, when there were no crime scene investigators, consulting detectives were considered more valuable," Naoto continued. "Thus, my grandfather still has a strong connection with the police and looks after me, despite my youth and inexperience."

_He's still talking…Need more drink…_ Souji picked up a brownish drink and tossed his head back to gulp it down, but even then, he didn't taste anything odd nor did he feel any different. _Dammit! Don't tell me the three drunks finished all the good drinks! I want my buzz! He talks so slow!_

"But investigation nowadays are well versed in science and medicine, so I must further my studies," Naoto finished while Souji tried to steal Teddie's drink away. The blonde boy saw what he was doing and grabbed it back, spilling most of the blue liquid down his frilly white front.

"That sounds tough…Uh… That's it? No punch line?" Yosuke sighed and tossed the last of his drink into his mouth.

"Ahem… I fear you may be looking to the wrong person for that," Naoto said plainly as Yukiko burst out in another fit of laughter.

"That's sooo embarrassing! Isn't Naoto-kun embarrassing?" she giggled.

"I wanna go home…" Yosuke griped as he set his empty glass on the table.

"Phew… I'm sleepy," Rise yawned and closed her eyes while still sitting.

_See? That life story was so boring that it put her to sleep!_ Souji reached for another glass and sipped it slowly.

"Well then, it's your turn now. A straight answer, please. What is your true involvement with the murder case?" Naoto asked without hesitation.

"You know, you're so good at killing the mood that it's almost funny…" Yosuke joked nervously, trying to avoid letting him know anything about what they had been doing. However, Yukiko didn't seem to get the hint and answered for everybody.

"Weeeeell, we go rescuing people who've been kidnapped by jumping into the TV!" She told him proudly. Her sober friends pulled faces and tried to get her to stop without alerting Naoto, but she kept right on explaining everything. "And theeen, we do stuff like, 'Persona!' with our Personas and beat the crap outta Shadows…"

Yosuke slapped a flat palm to his face. "Y-You idiot…"

_She's drunk, not stupid!_ Souji shot his friend a dirty look. _You're stupid! S-T-O-O-P-I-D! _

"Are you making fun of me?" Naoto sighed in frustration.

Next to him, Rise snapped out of her slumber and popped out of her seat. "Ish true!" she cried with her eyes bugging out. With another hop, she shot a fist in the air and yelled, "Personaaaa!" before falling back into her seat and drifting back to sleep.

"Sheesh! Somebody put these two drunks to bed already!" Chie growled while Naoto seethed in his seat.

"…I see now that you had no intention of telling me the truth," he said with traces of anger and disappointment in his voice. "But I'm curious… How did you become so inebriated? This isn't alcohol."

_How rude. Maybe Teddie's just that weird, or Rise-chan's just excited, or Yukiko-san's just having a really good day. And I mean a REALLY good day._ Souji picked up a clear, pink drink and sipped it. _Huh, it's lemonade. How DID they get so drunk? Maybe there really wasn't any alcohol…_

"Good one, Naoto!" Yukiko yelled unnecessarily loud.

"No, I confirmed it when I first entered. No alcohol has been served here since a rash of drunk driving last year," Naoto explained.

_So, Girlfriend's not drunk? She actually said everyone's nick names while sober? What the hell?_ Souji felt Kanji press up against him as the bigger boy tried to retreat from Teddie trying to hug him.

Chie looked at her half-filled cup. "Huh…? Does that mean we're all just drunk off the atmosphere?"

"Whooo caaares…" Yukiko laughed while fanning herself with her hand. "Whee, I feel so good… Goood niiiiight…"

She lowered her head and fell asleep with a smile still stuck on her face. Kanji reached past Teddie and waved a hand in front of Yukiko's face, getting no reaction.

"Hey, Senpai! …How the hell're we gonna get back with two passed-out drunks!" Kanji asked as he looked to Yosuke.

"…Piggyback…?" Souji answered weakly, not really wanting his answer to be heard. He picked up a glass and made to take a sip, only to find it was empty. It smelled faintly of cola and something else he wasn't sure of.

"All this is giving me a big headache… Is this what a hangover feels like…?" Yosuke rubbed his knuckles against his forehead while eyeing the empty glasses on the table. Across the room, Teddie raised his hands and leaned heavily against Kanji.

"Teddie's still totally okay! Lesh keep drinking 'till mornin'!" He cackled, taking an empty glass in each hand and putting them to his lips as he fell against Kanji once more.

"Bring it oooon…" Rise said softly without opening her eyes. She tilted to her right and rested her head against Naoto's.

"As I said… you haven't been drinking alcohol! Are you a pack of imbeciles!" Naoto snarled with a thinned lip as he carefully pushed Rise back to a sitting position.

_Why is he applying three drunks to the whole group? Five of us are sober, and three are drunk. Someone can't seem to count! Some genius detective you are!_ Souji stood up and set his glass on the table. "We should probably head back."

Yosuke also stood up. "Yeah…But, as Kanji said, how're we gonna get these three back?"

They looked from the two sleeping girls to Teddie, who was trying to crawl into Kanji's lap. Then Chie got up started nudging the table away from the sofas.

"Souji-kun, can you take care of Yukiko? Naoto-kun and I will handle Rise-chan," she said as she scooted over to the napping Rise.

"Huh? Why him? Why don't you handle Yukiko-san and I'll take care of Ri—" Yosuke started, but Chie had already placed one of Rise's arms over her shoulders as Naoto did the same on her other side.

"Hey, what about this one?" Kanji asked as he roughly shoved Teddie onto the floor. When Teddie tried to clamber back into his lap, Kanji planted a foot on his face and held him there. As mean as his actions were, Kanji looked and felt guilty for treating their friend in such a manner.

"We're gonna need two guys to handle Teddie," Chie answered as she and Naoto stood up together to lift Rise to her feet.

Yosuke sighed and grabbed the back of Teddie's shirt to pull him away from Kanji. "This better not be another one of your '_flamy'_ club attempts…"

_What is this 'flamy' club you speak of?_ Souji waited for the three boys to move so he had space to move to where Yukiko had fallen asleep. He first tapped her shoulder to see if she was awake.

"Yukiko-san? You awake? Can you stand?" He shook her shoulder a little more, but she still did not respond.

"Just carry her, Souji-kun," Chie instructed him as she and Naoto walked Rise to the stairs. Teddie, Kanji and Yosuke were halfway down the stairs when Teddie bolted for the dance floor, waving his arms wildly next to a random lady.

_If this were fan fiction, this would be really bad shipping for the fans,_ Souji thought as he puffed air through his nose. He stood on one side of her and put her arm around his neck like she had done earlier and slid a hand under her knees. His other arm held her back and he lifted her easily off the seat.

_She's so light! She needs to have more steak days with Chie or something!_ Souji could feel her snuggling closer to his shoulder as he headed down the stairs. Once at the bottom, he could see Kanji and Yosuke chasing Teddie around the dance floor, the blonde boy using other dancers as obstacles while he danced next to as many women as possible.

_"You're a tease, you turn them ooooon… Leave them burning and then you're…gooooone…_" Souji sang in his mind as he watched his two friends herd Teddie towards the door. _It just occurred to me that I'm going to be sleeping next to that tonight…insert swear words here…_

A loud bang from the doors made everyone turn their heads to the exit, where Teddie, in an attempt to escape his friends, had run into the door face-first. His two friends grabbed him by the hands and dragged him out of the club while Souji followed, snickering at the sight.

"You're so funny, Boyfriend…" he heard Yukiko whisper with her own snicker.

"And you're so cute when you're drunk," he said back to her. "How you got drunk without alcohol is beyond me."

"But there _was_ alcohol there…" she protested with slightly slurred words.

"If you say so," Souji said, too tired to get into an argument with a drunk.

Outside Paulownia Mall, Chie and Naoto had hailed two taxis for them to take back to the hotel. In one cab, Kanji, Teddie, Yosuke and Naoto piled in with Teddie squashed in the rear middle seat to keep him from somehow jumping out of the moving vehicle. In the other cab, Rise had woken up enough to pull Souji into the back seat with Yukiko still in his arms. Chie climbed into the front passenger seat, leaving Souji to fend for himself in the rear middle seat, where both Rise and Yukiko had their heads resting on his shoulders.

_Like I said before…Really cheap shipping for the fans…_ Souji laced his hands together in his lap, feeling Rise's own hands wrap around his arm. On his other side, Yukiko giggled at some unheard joke.

"Chie…you know you're my prince…right?" Yukiko said out of the blue.

"Huh? Yeah, why?" Chie asked as she turned halfway around in the front seat.

"Because I'm your princess!" she cackled sleepily.

Chie turned back around in her seat. "Sheesh, Yukiko…I thought there wasn't any alcohol in those drinks…"

"But I told 'em nooo alcohol…" Rise called from the back seat. She hugged Souji's arm tighter and looked up at him. "You believe, don'cha, Senpai?"

When he didn't reply, she shook his arm. _This is going to be a very long ride…_

…

By the time they reached the hotel, it was almost past the group's curfew. Naoto stepped out of his cab and helped Chie take Rise off of Souji, leading the girl into the lobby. Teddie was grabbed under each arm by Kanji and Yosuke, who lifted him off his feet so he couldn't run away anymore. Souji slid out of the cab and went around to the other door to pick up Yukiko bride-style again.

Kanji and Yosuke went straight for the second floor to drop off Teddie as soon as possible while everyone else headed for the fourth floor. After fumbling around in Rise's skirt pockets for the key, Chie finally got her room door open and helped Rise inside while Naoto, Souji and Yukiko waited outside.

"Good night, Souji-senpai…" they heard Rise mumble as Chie hoisted the girl from under her arms and dragged her backwards inside the room.

"Is it possible that someone could've mixed some alcohol into the drinks?" Souji asked Naoto, his voice almost booming in the silent hallways.

"Like I said before, they ceased serving alcohol due to multiple accidents caused by drunk driving," the small boy said flatly.

_That doesn't stop the bad people from doing bad, you know._ Souji opened his mouth to say something but stopped when Yukiko yawned and blinked several times.

"You awake now?" Souji asked her as he set her feet down on the ground. Still disoriented, she immediately lost her balance and instinctively grabbed onto Naoto's shoulders for support.

"Oh…Thank you…" Yukiko laughed feebly as she regained her footing and thanked Naoto with a kiss on his lips. His face lit up as bright red as his senpai's sweater as he suddenly found himself weighed down by Yukiko's sleeping form.

"Amagi-san!" Naoto cried out and Yukiko passed out again, weighing the underclassman down with her limp form. Yukiko's knees buckled under her and she started to fall, but Naoto held her from around her middle to keep her on her feet. When he looked up, he saw that he and Yukiko were the only ones in the hallway.

…

Down on the second floor, Souji was breathing heavily with his hand resting against the door to his room. When he saw what Yukiko had done, he couldn't bear to be near her and shot down the hallway.

_That didn't just… She wouldn't… Not after… _

For the first time in a long time, his mind was silent, yet so full of thoughts that none of them were coming out clearly. His body felt weightless like it was floating in a dream while his feet felt like they were stuck in the floor. Part of him wanted to remain in that quiet hallway where he could be left alone, but the other part wanted to just crawl into bed and make everything go away with sleep. He finally decided to stay in the hallway leaning against the door when it swung wide open, making Souji straighten up.

"Whoa, sorry 'bout that, Senpai," Kanji said as he stepped out. "We left Ted to take a cold shower to sober up a bit, so…"

He peered down at his senior to study his face more, but Souji kept his face almost parallel with the floor. "Um…You don' look so good—"

"I'm all right, Kanji-kun," he replied in a cool, deep tone. "It's just a headache, that's all."

From inside the room, he could hear Teddie's wails echoing off the bathroom walls as the cold water hit him sharply. "Thanks for taking care of Teddie," Souji added. "Good night."

"G'night, Senpai," Kanji said, waiting for Souji to close the door behind him before going back to his own room.

Once inside, Souji saw that Yosuke was standing in the bathroom doorway using the complimentary hair dryer to dry off his uniform.

"Hey." Yosuke turned off the hair dryer and fussed with the shirt in his hands. "It got wet when we stuck Teddie in the shower."

"…Cool," was all Souji could say as he headed straight for the bed. He let himself fall face-first on the waterbed, the waves from the water providing him with some soothing rocking before it settled.

"Dude, you okay?"

"…Headache…" he repeated, his answers completely automatic while his mind remained tangled in thoughts. When he hit the mattress, he felt completely numb all over.

"Want me to go and ask for some aspirin? I could go and—"

"S'fine…" Souji moaned from his pillow. He listened as the sound of running water shut off and wet feet slapped on the tile floor.

"C-C-C-Can I h-h-have a…t-t-t-t-t—" he heard Teddie chatter from inside the bathroom.

"Geez, Ted…Here!" Yosuke said, tossing the frozen boy a fresh towel. "Don't forget to dry your clothes with this, okay?"

Souji rolled onto his side, facing the wall opposite the bathroom. He reached under his pillow and pulled out the shrine charm.

_This isn't like me and Ai-san,_ he realized. _Ai-san kissed me, but she kissed…_

When he heard the hair dryer start up again, he slipped the charm back under his pillow and stared at the wall, still unable to sort out the barrage of thoughts in his head. He didn't know how long he laid there but eventually felt Teddie bounce onto the other side of the bed and say a slurred "good night" to everyone.

"Whoops! Fergot th' lights!" Teddie slurred as he stumbled back out of bed. The water sloshed heavily inside the bed, rocking Souji once more, but the soothing feeling left when Teddie flicked the wrong switch and the bed began to spin.

"Dude, cut it out! He's got a headache!" Souji heard Yosuke yell before leaping out of his own bed.

Souji stared unblinkingly at the spinning room, not at all bothered by the chaos of the bed spinning or the yelling of his two friends. The bed eventually stopped and Souji's gaze once again was back at the same spot on the wall he had been staring at.

"Sorry, Sensei!" Teddie cried as he slid back into bed. This time, Yosuke hit the lights and grumpily wished 'good night' before crawling into his make-shift bed.

For the next few hours, Souji laid unmoving in the dark. His thoughts were like disembodied whispers that mocked him, drilling deeper into his with each passing minute.

_"She kissed him…"_

_ "Rumor said that she liked Shirogane…"_

_ "Always nice to him…"_

_ "Didn't know you liked younger men…"_

Souji rolled over to his other side, seeing Teddie's bare arm around the divider pillow while the rest of him remained hidden behind it. He closed his eyes briefly, hoping that sleep would finally come, but only saw the two sharing the kiss again. His eyes snapped open again and knew that he had no chance of sleep that night. Pocketing the shrine charm, he got up, made sure his friends were asleep, put on his shoes and left the room, patting his pocket to ensure that the key was still there.

Outside the air was thick and warm, but Souji didn't feel it at all. He barely heard the sounds of cars and the footsteps and chatter of the passersby. The only things he heard were his thoughts whispering to him as he walked around the city.

_"She wanted to let people know about you, but you didn't want anyone to know. She might've gotten tired of you," _one of his thoughts said.

_Shut up,_ he thought coldly as he left Shirakawa Boulevard. College and high school kids littered the streets with cell phones, cigarettes and beer cans in their hands. One of them blew a cloud of smoke into Souji's face, but he just held his breath until he passed by.

_"She chose the puny boy over you…"_ said another thought's attempt to provoke him, but Souji just picked up the pace of his walk with his hands shoved into his pockets, one of them gripping the shrine charm tightly.

Walking with no particular aim in mind, Souji passed by a five-story building with an empty name plate on the side of the door. A tall, lanky man with a blue baseball cap was standing in front of it, sighing before walking away in the opposite direction. The man stopped briefly and turned around to glance at Souji's back before continuing on his way.

_"There was no alcohol…"_ prodded another thought, and Souji turned a corner into a quiet neighborhood. The whispers seemed to get louder with the lack of city noises, and soon he found himself trying to outrun his thoughts.

_"You lost her to a better man…"_

_ "She revealed your secret to your friends…"_

_ "She likes Naoto-kun…"_

Sprinting now, Souji ran blindly down the streets of the silent neighborhood, turning every few cross roads. He turned another corner and ran up some stone stairs leading to a shrine. On the left side of him were a green jungle gym, some see-saws, and a blue slide next to a square sandbox. By the sandbox was something like a trough with clear water sitting under a small roof.

_Of all places…why'd I come to a shrine?_ Souji followed the thin stone path straight ahead, leading him to an offertory box with two statues of shiisaa on either side. To the right of the offertory box was another box that held fortunes. Looking around, he saw that the path deviated to the left side of the offertory box where several tall, red gates stood and ended by a wooden fence. Next to the gates was a large tree that had a thick rope tied around it with white papers hanging from it. Next to it was a sign, and Souji pulled out his cell phone to light the sign to read.

_"It is said that Tokoyono-naganaki-dori perched on this tree when Amaterasu sealed herself in the Amano-iwato. Since the tree grew so large, a torii was later made to serve as a perch,"_ he read. _Dammit, why did it have to mention Amaterasu? Why did I end up in a place that reeks of Girlf—_

A heavy sigh escaped him as he returned his phone to his pocket. He couldn't even bring himself to call her by her name, let alone her nick name. He returned to the path and looked through the red gates, wondering what was at the end of it. A small red building the size and appearance of a birdhouse stood on a stone pedestal with a bit of Inari Sushi as an offering. With nothing else to do, Souji joined his hands in prayer and bowed his head.

_"You've lost her…"_

_ "She loves another…"_

_ "Naoto's a better man than you…"_

_ "There was no alcohol…"_

BAM! Souji slammed the back of his fist into one of the red gates in frustration with his thoughts. "SHUT UP! JUST SHUT THE HELL UP!"

He dropped to one knee with a hand to his forehead, hitting the gate again. Without thinking, he ground his knuckles into his forehead as though to rub the thoughts out, but they remained echoing in his mind. His yell, however, seemed to quiet the thoughts enough that he was able to get to his feet and say a simple prayer.

_Just let me know definitely if she likes me or Shirogane,_ he prayed quickly before turning around and heading down the path. Just a few steps before the last gate, the shapely figure of a beautiful woman with dark red hair walked down the path towards him, her knee-high boots clicking noisily on the stone path.

"It seems I'm not the only one here," she said with a low tone.

Souji's eyes caught onto something silver hanging from the woman's waist, but she covered it up by resting a delicate hand over it. "I'm done here, so the place is all yours," he said gruffly before making his way past her.

"Why are you here so late? You're a high school student, aren't you?" he heard her say, and he turned around to face her.

"What's it to you?"

"Your uniform…it's not from this area," she said as she sized him up, staring into his cold grey eyes with her own dark brown ones. "Are you with the school visiting from Yasoinaba?"

_Why does she know that? _"Yeah, I am, but why should it matter to you?" Souji stuffed a hand into his pocket and gripped the shrine charm loosely.

"No reason. I was just curious as to why you're out so late in a place you're unfamiliar with," she answered, turning her body so that the moonlight was to her back but still illuminated her face. Souji could see that her bangs were brushed to her left side, mostly covering her left eye. The rest of her slightly wavy hair rested over her left shoulder and flowed down her chest.

"All right then," Souji said with a nod before turning back to the stairs.

"People don't usually come here unless it's either New Years' or they have something worth praying for," the woman called to him, making him stop in his tracks.

_What's with this woman? She a cougar preying on me or something?_ Souji spun around and looked at the woman again, who was now holding her upper arm.

"I'm here to pray for a friend who was very dear to me," she explained as she walked through the red gates. "He left us when I graduated from Gekkoukan a few years ago."

_What is it with people and their back stories today? Can't you see I'm too pissed off to deal with you?_ "Not to be rude, but why are you telling me this?" he heard himself say as kindly as possible.

"Sometimes it's okay to confide in people about things," she said with her hands pressed together in prayer, her eyes smiling where Souji couldn't see. "I learned that myself not too long ago.

"So, why don't you say what's on your mind? You look like you're bearing a heavy burden."

_Where to start…I risk my life fighting shadows with my Persona and ended up rescuing a girl that's supposed to be my girlfriend but I just saw her kissing another guy!_ _Yeah, I can totally get this lady to relate to fighting shadows! CONFIDE MY ASS!_

The woman flipped her bangs with her hand. "Whatever it is, I'm sure that you'll resolve it soon. Just listen to your inner self and the others around you," she said as she strode past him with her arms crossed over her chest.

"Who are you?" Souji asked when she reached the top of the stairs. "Why are you trying to help me?"

She eyed him over her shoulder. "It is my duty to care for the residents of this place, even if they are visitors from afar. Somehow, just looking at you reminded me a lot of myself …when I lost my father."

She whispered the last part so Souji couldn't hear, and she continued down the steps with her heels clicking rhythmically on the stone. A few moments later, Souji could hear a motorcycle roar to life.

_What was up with that? And what was that shiny thing she hid? Is she a cop? No, she didn't drag me away for breaking curfew or anything… Sounded more like she owned the whole city or something…_

At the bottom of the stairs, he found that the woman had waited for him on her silver motorcycle.

"Hop on. I'll take you back to your hotel," she said as she held out a spare helmet to him.

_I knew it! She is definitely a cougar!_ "Thanks, but you don't have to," he started, but she left her hand suspended in air.

"You'll get in trouble if you get caught being out after hours."

"My mommy told me not to take rides from strangers."

The woman's breath caught in her chest and she let out a small laugh. "My name is Mitsuru Kirijo. And you are?"

_Kirijo…Where've I heard that name before? _"Souji Seta, second-year student of Yasogami High School," he said as he took the helmet from her.

"Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Seta," she said as he admired her motorcycle. "What hotel are you and your class staying?"

Souji took a seat behind her and strapped on his helmet. "It's The Seaside Clamshell Inn on Shirakawa Boulevard." _And now she's going to have her way with me…_

Aside from the motorcycle's engine purring, silence fell between the two as Mitsuru tensed up at the names of the hotel and the street. She glanced at one of her rear-view mirrors at his reflection and frowned.

"Why would your teachers have you stay in a place like that?" she asked as she revved her engine.

"If you ever meet my homeroom teacher, you'll understand," he yelled over the engine, and the two sped off towards the undesirable street.

…

Mitsuru dropped Souji off a few blocks away from Shirakawa Boulevard to "save face", and Souji was just fine with that. He still wanted more time to himself, but somehow the small exchange of words with Mitsuru helped to calm him and allowed him to think more clearly. He wasn't as flooded by his thoughts, but his mind was still racing with the possibilities of Yukiko liking another guy.

Back inside the hotel, he was halfway to the stairs when he heard the front door slide open again. A quick peek over his shoulder let him see that Kashiwagi had walked in with her black high heels hooked onto her fingers with an angry look on her face. He could hear her muttering to herself as he leaped up the stairs and quietly made his way back to his room.

Once inside, he saw Yosuke had kicked off the comforter and was asleep on his stomach. Souji shrugged it off until he saw that Teddie was spread all over the bed with nothing but a towel hanging loosely from his waist.

_Okay, I know I'm hurting after what 'she' did, but I'm just not the kind of guy who would go out and have a one-night stand with the local department store's mascot. _With a frown, Souji plucked his pillow from the bed, covered the rest of Teddie with the thin, white blanket that was falling off the side of the bed, and went to the corner to try to sleep. Wanting to get as far away from thoughts of losing his girlfriend, he began to wonder where he had heard the kind young woman's name before. Just when he was about to figure out whom she was, he fell asleep before he could grasp her identity.

…

The next morning, Souji woke up groggily and shuffled into the shower. In his sleepiness, he felt somewhat okay. He wasn't angry, or sad, or anything of that nature, but he did feel numb and uncaring again. When his friends woke up, he greeted them with a dull tone and led the way down to the lobby with his bag in hand. It was only when he saw Naoto that he felt his fury flare up inside of him again.

_It's that girlfriend-stealing, fun-murdering, nonsense-hating detective midget boy thing!_ Souji thought as he glared angrily at Naoto, criticizing every little thing about him, from the way he wore his uniform to the way he stood.

_Look at him! What is UP with that stance?_ Souji watched as Naoto stood with a slight bend at the waist with a hand on his hip. Looking down at himself, he saw that he himself was standing in a similar fashion.

_Okay, the difference is that I don't bend as much as he does, _Souji argued with himself as he redistributed his weight equally to both legs. _First off, I don't bend as much as he does. Hell, he stands almost like a girl when he bends that much! You're only supposed to bend a little! It asserts MANLINESS! What is this…Did Girlfriend fall for a GIRL or something?_

For the rest of the morning, Souji spent his time ranting about Naoto, some of his comments far too vulgar for him to even put into words. He was even more displeased when Rise invited Naoto to join them to explore the city of Iwatodai before their departure later in the afternoon. After blushing and many rapid explanations for his decline, he was eventually roped into their last adventure at Port Island.

At one point while waiting to cross at a crosswalk, Souji noticed that Yukiko was quieter than usual. She seemed preoccupied with some thoughts, often staring off into the distance.

_Hm, maybe she remembered what she did last night and is regretting it,_ Souji thought as hope bubbled inside of his chest. _How could she NOT know what she did? She was sober! No alcohol in the drinks, right?_

They went to the strip mall by the Iwatodai Train Station and explored the manga store on the third floor. Seeing that Naoto had no interest in manga, they went down the spiral staircase to the first floor to the used bookstore that was run by an elderly couple. Piles and piles of old books were stacked on the floor of the tiny store, and all eight friends had to carefully maneuver themselves while they dug around the old store. The elderly couple smiled gratefully at their company and happily gave them melon bread and drinks while they browsed around, Teddie causing the most trouble with his bulky bear suit.

While digging around a hefty pile of classic literature, Yukiko accidentally bumped into Souji.

"Oh, Souji-kun! I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention," she said glumly, but Souji just grunted and continued to move to the back of the store. Yukiko shrugged off his response as annoyance due to the heat and resumed sifting through the pile of books.

By early afternoon, Rise led them to Hagakure Ramen, a small ramen shop on the second floor of the strip mall. A long counter curved near the far wall enclosing the kitchen on the right side of the restaurant. On the left wall were a few small tables with containers of sauces and spices placed in the middle. The store appeared a bit dreary with the many shades of brown and the most splash of color there were the red cushions of the stools at the bar and the restaurant owner's blue bandanna.

Leading the group inside, Yosuke took a seat at the far end of the bar, followed by Teddie, Yukiko, Rise, Chie, and Naoto.

_Out of sight, out of mind,_ Souji chanted to himself as he took a seat at one of the tables. It was his small attempt at keeping both Yukiko and Naoto out of his sights, but soon found that he could only turn his back to one of them. At the last second, he decided to turn his back to Yukiko so as not to engulf her with his rage while Kanji took the seat across from him.

"Mmm, mmm! Everything looks good!" Kanji said loudly as he opened up his menu. Souji also opened his menu and crunched himself inward to hide behind it, not wanting to have to see Naoto any more than he had to.

Everyone asked Rise what was "good" and she proudly gave recommendations for each friend. She explained the flavors of each bowl of ramen in great detail, but Souji kept his menu up, wishing he could be anywhere else but there. One by one their orders came, and when Souji got his order he snapped his chopsticks in half and started gorging himself with his face bent low to the bowl. Every now and then, his eyes would shift to the boy at the end of the bar before dipping back to his ramen.

"Mmmm! Oh man, this is really something!" Chie said after slurping up some noodles.

"This place serves the best ramen in town. When we were filming, a lot of times I came here instead of eating boxed lunches," Rise told her as she picked up her bowl in both hands. She was about to sip some of the fresh soup when she saw Yukiko's unmoving figure frowning on her left. "Huh…? You're not hungry?"

Yukiko sighed and shook her head. "Um… What happened last night…? I don't remember much about it…"

"Oh, I think the two of us fell asleep quick," Rise explained without lowering her bowl. "I heard it got pretty wild, though."

"I see… I don't remember at all…" Yukiko slowly reached for a fresh pair of chopsticks and snapped them in half.

_Bullshit! How could she not remember what she did last night? There was NO alcohol!_ A stinging pain on his tongue made him jerk his head upward as he bit down hard on it. He glared at a slice of beef in his bowl and picked it up with his chopsticks, studying it as he suspended it a few inches above his bowl. _Even you would work against me, Ushi-san? Well, you have reached your end of days!_

Across the table from him, Kanji's stare stuck on Souji as he watched his senpai chomp angrily on the slab of beef, complete with snarling. Back at the bar, Rise slurped her soup as she reveled in the taste.

"Ahh, this flavor never changes. I couldn't come here too often because it's high in carbohydrates, so being able to eat as much as I want is like a dream!" Rise set down her bowl and broke her chopsticks apart to feast on the noodles as Yukiko sampled some of her own bowl's noodles.

"Oh… This is delicious! It has an interesting taste that makes you hungry for more," she noted as she picked up her bowl to drink the golden broth.

"See? See?" Rise squealed excitedly, glad to see that her friends were enjoying the meal.

Off on Yukiko's left, Teddie waved a blue paw at the chef. "Another bowl, please! Keep the noodles hard!"

Everyone was so busy slurping up their noodles that they hardly even talked to one another. The flavor was so captivating that even Souji seemed to forget his troubles until a young man walked in and asked for something called the "Hagakure Bowl."

"The Hagakure Bowl's a normal menu item now…! Argh, I should've asked!" Rise cried, but only seemed mildly annoyed as she picked up her bowl again. "Oh well. This is just as good."

As the man walked past them, he stole a glance at Rise before sitting at one of the tables behind Souji. Yosuke, having noticed this, asked her, "Hey, is it okay for you to be out in the open like this?"

"Sure, no prob," she said easily and pointed up above the bar. "See those signing boards? My autograph's up there too, but the cook doesn't give me a second glance. That's just how it is over here. Plus, I'm barely wearing any makeup."

As he craned his neck to look up, Souji spotted Teddie swiping Yukiko's bowl and start eating it. _I sense an incoming bout of 'Amagi Spite Syndrome'…_

Having not noticed, Yukiko eyed the autographs above her. "Oh, you're right. There's a lot of autographs on display."

Chie waved her chopsticks to get Rise's attention while she chewed her food. "Y'know what I think? The reason they don't notice you is 'cause this bear sticks out like a sore thumb… I guess if he wore that over here, he'll have to go home wearing it…"

_Actually, he's wearing it because he didn't dry his clothes after that cold shower last night. And then I saw more Teddie than I'll ever need to see… Oh…what a show…_ Becoming conscious to what he had just thought, Souji shook the thought out of his head and noisily ravaged another piece of beef in an attempt to drive the image of mostly naked Teddie out of his brain. Kanji stared with his own chopsticks stuck in his mouth as Souji chomped on his meal with bared teeth and growled "OM, NOM, NOM," with each bite.

"Isn't it all steamy inside from the ramen?" Kanji asked loudly to steer his attention away from Souji. Before anyone could answer, Yukiko went to scoop up more noodles with her chopsticks and found that her bowl was no longer in front of her.

"Huh? Where's my bowl!" She and the rest of her friends (including Souji) turned to stare at the blue and red bear by her side. "You didn't eat it…did you?"

Feeling fear pricking at him, Teddie tried to laugh it off. "Y-You didn't finish, so… Ahaha."

Yukiko gripped her chopsticks tightly in her hand. "I was going to finish it!"

"Hey, didn't you just order more a second ago? How many have you eaten?" Yosuke asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I dunno how to count," the bear said pitifully with droopy ears.

"You little liar! Gimme that check!" Yosuke grabbed the receipt and checked everyone's orders. "Let's see here… One, two… T-Ten bowls!"

Teddie flapped his feet happily under the table. "Yuki-chan's makes it eleven!"

He let out a loud, satisfied belch while Yukiko set her chopsticks down on the table. "I was going to finish mine…"

With Rise sitting between them, Chie leaned forward to look at Yukiko and tried to console her friend. "Th-There, there…"

On Chie's right, Naoto dabbed a napkin around his mouth as he set down his chopsticks. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but it's close to the meeting time," he announced to them all.

"Awww… Already? I thought the trip was gonna be a bore… but now that it's over, I actually had a good time," Chie said, and almost everyone agreed with her.

_Yeah, you had a good time…I don't see your 'princess' cheating on you with some other prince._ Souji sat up higher in his seat when Chie spun around in her stool to face him.

"Hey, let's buy a souvenir at the station. I bet Nanako-chan will be expecting one," she reminded him.

_Sometimes people don't want surprises, like the one I got last night!_ "We'll get her an Iwatodai Lamp," he said idly as he swirled the remaining soup with his chopsticks.

"Alright, let's get going. C'mon Teddie, we're leaving." Yosuke got up and bopped his palm onto Teddie's massive head, but got no response. "Yo… Hey, Ted!"

Souji heard a chair scrape the floor as Kanji got up and went over to the bear. "Don't make me rub your fur the wrong way, you little—"

He stared at Teddie for a moment and saw that something was not right. "D-Dude… Hey, he ain't moving! I-Is he hibernating!"

_At least now we can convince Slutty McSlut-Slut that Teddie's a real stuffed animal now,_ Souji thought uncaringly as his friends grew more worried.

"Hey… D-Don't tell me… I-It's not because he's been in our world too long, is it!" Chie wondered aloud as she studied Teddie's unmoving eyes.

"Are you serious!" Rise asked Chie and quickly snapped her head to their still friend. "Teddie!"

Everyone stared at the bear intently when he let out a burp.

"Urrrp… My tummy's heavy," he groaned, and everyone but one breathed a sigh of relief.

Yukiko turned to Rise and with a low, spiteful tone she hissed, "Leave it behind."

_Wow…that's some serious 'ass' she's got working for her,_ Souji thought with raised eyebrows. _B-But, I'm still mad at you, you hear me!_

At the bar, Teddie tried to slide off the stool but found it impossible. "I ate too much… Can't move… Someone carry meee," he bleated, but no one made a move nor a sound until Naoto got to his feet.

"I mustn't be late for our rendezvous. Please excuse me," he said indifferently before leaving the restaurant. To Souji's displeasure, Yukiko hopped off her stool and followed him out.

"Ah, Yukiko. Wait for me," Chie called as she pursued her friend while Teddie was stuck to his stool and flailed his stubby arms and legs uselessly.

"H-Hey, I really can't move! And I don't have the money for a return ticket!" he wailed, and Souji, Rise, Kanji and Yosuke formed a circle around him.

"Farewell, Teddie… We shall leave you here, along with our memories of youth," Yosuke said with his palms pressed flat against each other and his head bowed. The other three friends imitated him, making Teddie panic even more. They made to leave the restaurant, but quickly came back and shelled out enough bills to cover the cost of the meal and his return ticket.

_Got no girlfriend and now less money…When is my time as an emo panda over?_ Souji wondered as he paid for the Iwatodai Lamp he promised to buy his cousin. With the rest of his classmates, he boarded the bus and feigned sleep to avoid having to talk to anyone. Sometime during the ride, he felt his phone buzz in his pocket and saw that he had received a message.

_"I think I remember you carried me back to the hotel. Thank you, my knight!"_

_She remembers that, but not what she did after? Was she, or wasn't she drunk last night?_ Souji quietly closed his phone without replying and replaced it back in his pocket before returning his gaze out the window. The sun was gradually sinking behind a distant hill, causing the golden light to slowly fade across the fields. Souji stared with squinted eyes as the sky grew crimson around the last bits of light emanating from the sun before closing his eyes completely to give in to some much-needed sleep.

…

Hours later, Souji sleepily climbed out of the bus and retrieved his bags when they arrived in front of Yasogami High School. The familiar sounds of the cicadas chirping and the wind rustling the trees filled the air as the students yawned, stretched, and parted ways. After saying a quick "good night" to Yosuke, Souji began to turn towards his uncle's house only to see Yukiko smiling at Naoto.

"…Let's do it again sometime," he heard her say as Naoto's face reddened.

"If other matters do not need my attending to, then yes," he replied before walking off towards the upper middle class area of the town.

He heard Yukiko call out a "good night" to Naoto and had had enough. He spun on his heel and walked briskly towards his uncle's house, suddenly hearing her call his name.

"…Leave me alone…" Souji whispered to her, knowing that it wouldn't reach her and kept on walking. Speeding up his walk, he was soon trotting through the neighborhood with his head down, feeling an icy stab in his chest. It felt as though a blade of ice had plunged itself into his chest, causing the blood to pool into his stomach and freeze once it hit the bottom. The pit of his stomach felt like it was ready to sink even deeper, but he kept running in a weak attempt to escape the dark thoughts and feelings that pursued him. When he reached his uncle's house, he took a minute to catch his breath before entering the house.

For a moment, his fingers fumbled around in his pocket for his keys before he was able to pick out the right one and unlock the door. He took a step inside and saw that Nanako was sitting at her usual spot on the far side of the short table watching TV.

"Ah," she gasped and got up to greet him. "Welcome home! Did you have fun?"

"Come with me next time," he heard himself say with a robotic smile. She didn't seem to pick up on how he was really feeling and started talking about future trips with her cousin.

"Yep, for sure! Um, I wanna go to Destiny Sea, too! There's this roller coaster that goes WHOOOSH into the water, and…"

_Please, Little Child… I'm tired and I hurt in places that I can't heal with an ice pack._ Souji held out the Iwatodai bag to her, which got her to forget all about Destiny Sea.

"Wow! Thanks!" she cried out happily as she took the oversized bag from him. She peered inside and saw the decorative lamp, her face lighting up even more. "Whoa, cool!"

_And with that, I'm off to cry in my emo corner while you get distracted by bright, shiny lights,_ Souji thought as he turned to head up the stairs. The sound of the sliding door caught both their attentions as his uncle walked through the door.

"Oh, hi Dad!" Nanako greeted warmly as she held the bag tightly in her tiny fists. The gruff detective spotted Souji and gave him a rare smile.

"Ah, you're back. We just missed each other, huh?" Dojima said with a light tone. Seeing that her father was also happy with Souji's return, Nanako held out the souvenir she had just received to him.

"Look! My big bro got me a souvenir!" she squealed as she opened the bag to him.

"Hey, nice," he chuckled as he patted her head. "Did you remember to thank him?"

"Of course!" she assured with a nod and went off to her room to find a spot for the present. Once she had shut her door behind her, Dojima gave a dry laugh.

"Heh, I guess that came out of your own pocket. Thanks. You went to Tatsumi Port Island, yeah? Haha, I guess the city was no big deal for a guy like you."

The detective took a seat at the kitchen table and Souji followed him, staying on his feet. His uncle sat and thought for a moment on what to say and finally found something to talk about. "By the way, if the first-years went along with you, Naoto Shirogane must've been there, too. You talk to him much?"

Souji almost flinched at the young detective's name. "I guess so, yeah." _Please, stop… I swear, if I start crying right here, I'm…I'm…Well, I'm gonna cry! DUH!_

Dojima leaned back in his chair thoughtfully. "He's mature for his age, but he's still a year younger than you… Try to make friends with him, will you? He's a cocky brat… but he's honest."

_You want me to do…WHAT? You've gotta be shittin' me! _Souji stood there in disbelief of what he was being asked to do. The frosty sword that had stabbed him before melted with the rising vehemence at his uncle's request.

"The higher-ups are losing their patience with him… It doesn't matter if his argument holds water or not. At this rate, he won't accomplish anything but getting himself booted off the team. Adults can be a selfish bunch," Dojima told his nephew, unbeknownst to him just how damaging his last sentence was to the boy.

_You're damn right adults can be a selfish bunch! Why should I make friends with that pompous dick-tective shithead in the first place? There're shit-tons of other students here, so why pick this shit, huh? …SHIT!_

Souji, with his hardened eyes looked into Dojima's suddenly kind ones. Their eyes met, and Dojima could see that his nephew was most uncomfortable. "Oh, sorry. You must be tired. Why don't you take a bath? Oh, but don't forget to take your stuff upstairs."

He stood up and called for Nanako to prepare the bath, giving Souji some time to breathe and cool down after their little talk. Seeing that he still wasn't at ease, Dojima prepared for him some instant noodles to eat while Nanako drew the bath. The noodles were tasteless to Souji, and even Nanako's cheerful announcement of the fresh bath did little to alleviate his pain and wrath.

After his bath, Souji numbly told his uncle and cousin "good night" and shuffled his feet up the stairs. He retrieved his phone from his uniform pocket to recharge and saw that he had a message waiting for him.

_"I love you, my knight!"_ Yukiko's message read. Souji sat down on his sofa, staring unblinkingly at the screen.

_Sure you do,_ he thought, and snapped his phone shut.

…

**Author's note**: Hey, so…Sorry the chapter was so long, especially since it's all in-game dialogue and whatnot. There was little room to add much to it, so I did what I could. I actually enjoyed pounding away at my keyboard while writing this one, so I guess my happy little geyser of inspiration kicked in. Chances are, you're not going to see the next chapter for awhile due to me needing to do more exact planning for the next few in-game days. I apologize in advance.

I wonder how many of you actually picked up on my attempts at foreshadowing the turmoil that was going to ensue. I learned about it in school, but was never sure if I was any good at foreshadowing. Plus, you probably noticed that I started to get a bit descriptive on the scenery. A problem my creative writing professor pointed out that most young writers have is that we tend to leave out the details on scenery. This chapter is pretty much my little attempt at practicing descriptions, especially since there might be some of you that hasn't played Persona 3 and probably don't know how some of the locations are supposed to look like.

"Dancing Queen" belongs to ABBA, so credit to them!

I also want to give credit to my Big Bro for creating "Amagi Spite Syndrome." I have been waiting for MONTHS to finally use this term! Who doesn't want to make cracks at Yukiko's 'ass' anyhow? So thanks, Big Bro!

By the way, could I ask you guys a favor? Could you guys tell me what parts you liked and didn't like so I know what works and what doesn't? It would be a huge help to me, and much appreciated!

Most importantly, thank you, all my readers, for continuing to read my fic even after a year-long hiatus. Just seeing that you guys are willing to wait so patiently for the next chapter really inspires me to continue this fic. Thank you again, and I will do my best to make each chapter worth the wait! (Hopefully, you won't have to wait a year again…)


	19. Chapter 19

Early the next morning, Nanako stood by the front door waving to her father as he left for work. As she listened for the car engine to purr to life, she mentally noted how dim the morning was due to the light grey clouds that covered the sky in clumps. The air wasn't quite so thick or sticky as it had been the previous week, but her six-year-old, laundry expert self knew that it did not meet the conditions to dry laundry effectively.

When she couldn't hear her father's car anymore, she slid the door closed and locked it before returning to the kitchen. Clearing the dirty dishes away, she pondered as to what to feed her cousin for breakfast, for she and her father had devoured the last of the sausages together. Dojima himself even polished off the last of the bread, leaving nothing but burnt crumbs that trailed from his place at the table to the front door on his way to the car, muttering something about how convenient Western meals were.

Smiling, Nanako piled the dishes into the sink and ran some water on them before heading off to the pantry. Boxes and cans of boring foods deflected her eyes before she pushed them to the side. Her mouth opened in delight when she found what she was looking for: the big, yellow box of pancake mix she and her father had purchased from Junes a few days ago. With great effort, she picked up the box with both hands and hugged it to her chest, panting as she carried it over to the counter.

With a strangled grunt, she attempted to lift it up onto the counter and lost her grip, smacking the heavy box against her head. The pancake mix fell with a loud _thud_ onto the floor while Nanako rubbed the side of her head where she had been hit.

"Please be good, Mr. Pancake Mix," she pleaded quietly as she moved one of the kitchen chairs against the counter. "Big Bro needs his strength so he can go on a date with Big Sis Yukiko!"

After much labor of hoisting the box onto the counter, she was eventually able to make the batter and cook a decent-sized stack of oddly-shaped, half-burnt and half-raw pancakes. Once she set the last pancake atop the stack, she heard a door slam upstairs and heavy feet thudding down every step. Nanako let out a small gasp of excitement before running to the far side of the table with the plate of pancakes in her hands and set it on the table just as a slightly disheveled Souji appeared at the bottom of the stairs.

"Good morning, Big Bro!" she said happily as she went to retrieve some syrup from the pantry.

"Uhhh…" Souji grunted as he scratched his scalp. Several strands of his silvery hair stuck out in different directions and his white polo shirt was half-heartedly tucked into a pair of crumpled black jeans.

His little cousin had the bottle of syrup in her hand when she turned around and saw his uncharacteristically messy appearance. "Um… Are you hungry? I made you some pancakes…"

"Uhhh…" he grunted again as he dragged his feet to the table. Nanako set the syrup bottle on the table next to his plate before taking the seat across the table from him.

"Did you sleep well?" she asked gingerly with a smile, but all he did was grunt while he picked up his fork and poked the stack of freshly-made, oddly-shaped, half-burnt and half-raw pancakes gently.

"Uhhh…"

"Oh. Well, are you going out today?"

"Uhhh…"

Seeing that nothing was cheering her cousin up, she decided it was time to pull out her trump card. "Are you going to see Big Sis Yukiko today?"

Souji's grip on his fork tightened, turning his knuckles white. He could hear his heart pounding in his ears as he clenched his jaw before forcing out, "Nanako-chan… sometimes… after people take trips with each other… they just need some time away from each other or else they'll get… tired of one another…"

The young girl stared in wonder at her cousin. "But, I see you every day and I'm not tired of you."

Souji's hand squeezed his fork even tighter for a moment before loosening his grip. He took a deep breath and sighed, all the tension in his face relaxing at the same time. "Did you make these pancakes all by yourself?"

"Yeah, but it's just the kind in the box where you add water," she said while he poured some syrup onto the stack and took a bite. He felt some chunks of dry powder that hadn't mixed well and chewed the granules slowly, feeling each chunk dry out his throat. He stifled the need to cough.

"Pretty good," he told her, even though he couldn't detect any flavor. "Grab a fork and help me eat this, will ya?"

She didn't waste a second grabbing a spare fork at his invite, and together the two munched on the warm, fluffy stack of pancakes.

…

Souji was browsing through Yamenaido Bookstore after having his mood lifted by Nanako's breakfast. The small store had shelves that lined the left and back wall while a counter holding a single cash register lined the right wall near the entrance. Against the large windows at the front was a narrow table that held new arrivals. In the middle of the store were a few shelves with plenty of books that garnered little attention. Even Souji himself frowned with disgust at the lack of selection and quickly made for the new arrivals.

The first book he picked up was a light green paperback. It was some sort of survival guide in the event that a zombie apocalypse may occur. He flipped the book to a random page and found the section on the various weapons that were listed, almost grinning at his imagination of a certain miniature detective becoming a zombie just so he could shove a Molotov cocktail into his mouth. The thought was too humorous for Souji that he accidentally let out a small, dry laugh, causing the young female clerk to eye him suspicious.

Setting the book down, he picked up a light, powder blue book and leafed through it, not really focusing on the pages but still indulging in his fantasy. Outside, the sound of a motorcycle roaring nearby whipped Souji out of his daydream and caused him to look out the window. Down the street to the right, a silver motorcycle at the stoplight was being held steady by a woman whose long, wavy dark red hair was spilling out from under her helmet. He gasped and started to run out the door, its bell ringing loudly as the clerk yelled at him to stop.

"Sir! You have to pay for that!" she yelled before he could take a step outside.

Taking a longing look back at the woman on the motorcycle, he quickly went up to the clerk, slammed the book onto the countertop and yanked his wallet out of his pocket. From outside, he could hear the motorcycle zoom past the book store and up the hill while the girl slowly tried to add up the coins to the exact change. He watched painfully as she held the coins in one hand and pointed at each one with her other hand, recounting several times before adding one more coin. He stuff the coins into his pocket with his wallet and started to tap his foot impatiently as the girl bagged his purchase before grabbing it hastily and dashing madly up the hill after the motorcycle.

Up near the top of the street, Souji could still hear the motorcycle's engine growl. He was just passing Chinese Diner Aiya when a shorter blur with dark brown hair shot out of the alley behind the restaurant and slammed into him. The two toppled into the street, sending Souji's book flying a few feet before skidding to a stop. The boy that had run into him exhaled painfully as he sat up.

"Hey, watch where you're…" The boy's irritated face lit up when he saw who it was. "Oh, it's you! You're Chie's friend, right?"

Lying on his side, Souji slowly propped himself up on an elbow while turning towards the boy. His lips were pulled back to revealed clenched teeth while his eyes were narrowed. His left eye twitched violently and the boy could have sworn he heard him growl.

"Yeah, you gave me a similar look back then," the boy continued, smiling nervously.

Souji sat up on his knees with his chin touching his chest. His fingers were spread apart and bent like claws as they gripped his knees tightly. His breathing was slow but heavy, and loud enough for the other boy to hear.

The boy's smile faded and his eyebrows turned downward. "Look, I'm sorry about running into you and all, but right now, Chie's in trouble," he said sternly. "She's in the alley behind Aiya with five guys who—"

"And you just left her?" Souji asked in a low growl, surprising the boy.

"Well I… I'm not as good a fighter as she is, so…" His eyes softened in embarrassment as he rubbed his neck.

"Takeshi… Kouno… correct?"

The boy blinked and smiled. "Yeah, you remembered! And you're—"

Souji pulled his lips back further to reveal a set of straight, sparkling white teeth. "What kind of man gets rescued by a girl, then ditches her in an alley full of punks?"

"Hey, I thought she was gonna run with me!" Takeshi yelled out of embarrassment and anger. "How I was supposed to know that she—"

"You should have stayed behind and fought alongside her! At least you would've had an honorable death! Now you're just a coward with no honor, just like last time!" Souji roared loud enough to catch the attention of some passersby. "You, sir, are unfit to be called a man!"

Takeshi, shocked by his words, could only make a few noises from his throat while sweat began to bead down his forehead. As he sat there taking in Souji's comment, Souji crawled over to his fallen book and crammed it down the back of his pants so it just stuck out above the belt. He got to his feet, brushed himself off and started off towards the alley.

"W-What…are you...?" Takeshi started, getting to his feet.

"Because of your selfish and cowardly actions, you are unworthy of your manly name. I shall now rename you: Mahbetch!" Souji shouted coldly over his shoulder before running into the alley. Takeshi could only stare helplessly as he attempted to register what he had just heard.

…

The alley was only about seven feet wide, with a brown wall on the left side and a grayish-white wall on the right. Halfway down the alley, Chie was pressed up against the grey wall next to a pile of trash bags with five boys surrounding her in a semicircle. The second tallest boy, wearing an orange coat, brown pants and a light brown beanie had his hands tucked into his coat pockets while leering down at Chie.

"Great boyfriend you've got there," he snickered and was soon joined with a chorus of snickers from his friends. "We only demanded money, and he leaves us his girl."

"He's not my boyfriend!" Chie shot back, leaning away from the wall.

"The bitch is right, since she's obviously the man of the relationship!" cracked the second shortest boy wearing an open grey polo shirt over a white tank top. The others cackled with him while Chie thinned her lip and glared at the boy who made the joke.

The boy in the beanie grinned and pulled a hand out of his pocket. "It's cute that you're trying so hard to be a man, but it seems we have to put you back in your place and remind you that you're a girl," he said as he reached out to run his fingers in her hair. Chie quickly swatted his hand down before he could touch her. He scowled and slapped her hard in the face, but she remained solid in her stance.

"Stupid bitch! We'll teach you how a real man treats a woman!" He grabbed her wrist, only to have her grab his hand with her free one, twist his arm around, and deliver a swift kick to his face. The other four boys watched as their leader clutched his nose with both hands and roared with the sudden pain.

"Get her!" he yelled through his hands, and the four made to pounce on her when the sound of rapid footsteps and a loud yell made its way down the alley.

"You call yourselves men when it takes five of you to fight one girl? PREPARE TO BE BASTARDIZED!"

The five turned just in time to see Souji take down the tallest boy with a flying knee to his chest, taking down two other punks with spread arms as he fell. Souji landed easily on both feet and he turned back to face Chie and the remaining two boys. He took a step toward them with a hunched back and hands down by his sides with gnarled fingers ready to grab or claw the first offender.

"Souji-kun!" Chie cried out with a newfound smile on her face. She looked back to the guy with the orange coat and saw that he was grimacing beneath his hands.

"Get him!" he yelled as he pointed at Souji. The boy still standing leaped forward while he, himself, spun around to face Chie. "And as for you…"

His nose throbbing painfully and blood dribbling down his chin, the beanie boy threw a punch at her face, but was easily knocked away by her open hand before striking him on the nose again.

"Dammit! Is that all you can do?" he yelled as he rubbed his nose.

"It's working, isn't it?" Chie shouted back, hopping from foot to foot. She looked over to Souji and saw his opponent swing a kick at him, only to have it get caught in Souji's hands. She watched as her friend yanked the boy's leg towards him and deliver a rage-filled headbutt to the boy's face before letting him fall to the ground.

"Who's next?" Souji roared and was answered by the remaining two boys running at him with fists aimed at his face. He stood there, glaring at the two with bared teeth as they closed the distance between them, and at the last second, he dropped to one knee with his own two fists raised, catching them both in their stomachs and using their own momentum against them. They cried out as the wind was knocked out of them, dropping by their friend gasping in pain while Souji straightened up.

Looking further down the alley, Souji could see Chie and the beanie boy fighting next to a large black dumpster. Just a few feet from them, he could see the tall boy he had knocked down earlier getting to his feet and start towards Chie.

"Hey, you!" Souji shouted to the tall boy. "When I'm through with you, the only way you'll be able to earn any money is to become a paraplegic prostitute!"

All three teenagers stopped and turned to stare at Souji with confused looks on their faces. The boy with the beanie looked to his last comrade, tipped his head towards Souji, and turned back to Chie with his fists raised. The tall boy lumbered at Souji with hunched shoulders and a stupid smile on his face as he cracked his knuckles while Souji also took a few slow steps towards him. Soon, the two were running at each other with a fist raised above their heads.

"FOR NARNIAAAAAA!" Souji boomed, and just as he and the other boy were about to collide, Souji jumped to his right and clothes-lined the boy with his left arm. His head hit the pavement with a sickening _crack_ as Souji landed in a crouched position next to a big black dumpster.

"You were destined to fall before my bastardly might," he said coldly while the boy moaned. An orange figure dashed past him and the air that followed tugged at Souji's hair and clothes lightly. He spun around, still crouching and saw Chie's opponent just as he felt something heavy stomp hard onto his shoulder, briefly crushing him before lifting off suddenly. He was shoved so far forward that his knees were wedge into his chest and he automatically held his breath to counter the extra weight. When he looked up, he saw that Chie had used him as a launching pad and managed to land in a sitting position on the boy's shoulders, knocking him down and onto his face while she sat victoriously on him. She looked back at him over her shoulder and grinned.

"Whoo! You have no idea how good it was to see you!" she called to him as she stood up. She bent down and reached into the pockets of the orange coat and found a few bills and coins. "These must be Takeshi's…"

Souji slowly got to his feet, reaching over his shoulder to touch the brown imprint of Chie's shoe on his white shirt. He turned his back to Chie and tugged on his shirt to show her what she had done.

"Oops! Sorry about that," she said as she strode over to him. She stepped over a few of the motionless figures moaning down the length of the alley and smiled up at him. "But really, thanks for helping me out."

Turning back around to face her, Souji saw over her shoulder that the smallest boy, barely as high as Souji's chest, had managed to get to his feet, breathing heavily while clutching his stomach where Souji had punched him.

"Y'know, I can't believe these guys are at it again," Chie continued as she counted the money in her hands. "I thought Inaba was supposed to be a nice town… If this keeps up, I'll probably have to…"

Souji wasn't paying attention to her as he watched the small boy break into a run towards them. He reached into his pocket, pulled out a spare ten-yen coin and dropped it behind him.

"Chie-chan, you dropped one," Souji said, pointing to the coin as it rolled close to the dumpster.

"Oh, you're right. Thanks, Souji-kun," she said as she went to go retrieve it. As she walked past him and bent down to pick it up, the boy ran up to Souji, only to be scooped up in the enraged teen's arms and tossed into the dumpster with a resounding _bang_.

Chie straightened up with the coin pinched between her fingers. "What was that?" she asked.

"The sound of Chuck Norris clapping with one hand," Souji muttered as he ushered her out of the alley. They carefully stepped over the fallen boys, keeping their eyes cast down in case they happened to latch onto their ankles and yank them off balance.

"I thought there were five guys…" Chie wondered aloud as she turned back to take a second look, but Souji grabbed her shoulders and turned her back to the end of the alley.

Sitting at one of the tables at Souzai, Takeshi was drumming his fingertips on the table while his knee shook uncontrollably. At the sight of his abandoned friend and her savior, he popped out of his seat and ran to them while the chair clattered backwards to the ground.

_It's Mahbetch!_ Souji thought as Takeshi drew near.

"Chie! You're okay!" he said gleefully as he checked her for injuries.

"I'm fine, thanks to this guy," Chie told him with one hand indicating to Souji. The other held out the money she had retrieved. He gratefully took his money with a smile, but when he saw Souji's eyes seemingly piercing him, his took a few steps back and pocketed the money.

"Uh, thanks for saving her, Seta," he mumbled, unable to raise his eyes to be level with Souji's. "I gotta go, so…"

He took a few steps backwards with a final wave before turning around and trotting up the street. Souji continued to bore holes into the back of the boy's head until Chie spoke.

"Hm, something about him seemed a bit off, for some reason," she thought as she touched a finger to her chin. "Did you notice anything?"

Shifting his stance, Souji reached around his back and pulled out his book from his belt. "I'm sure he's just disturbed by the fact that he had to be rescued by a girl… again."

"Huh? Is that really it?" Chie peered down at the book in her friend's hands when something caught her eye. "Oh, your hand! It's all scratched up!"

He brought his hand up to his face for further examination and saw traces of gritty asphalt amid the white scrapes and red streaks of blood on the back.

"Dammit, Mahbetch! My poor baby… Your sacrifice of beauty will not be in vain!" he grumbled to himself in a low voice, but Chie vaguely picked up on it and pushed on his back with both hands.

"Come on, we gotta get you cleaned up," she said as she pulled him down the hill.

…

Coming down the street, they had the intention of buying a roll of bandages and some ointment at Shiroku Store when they saw an excitable Rise waving both of her arms high above her head. She wore a plain white bandanna high on her head and a matching apron over her brightly-colored clothes. When she got a closer look at Souji's hand and the shoe imprint on his back, she put up a scene of taking his hand into hers and demanding what had happened to her beloved senpai. She gently ran her fingers over the small scrapes while she listened to Chie's retelling of the alley fight, only catching words like "bullies" and "fighting" and "Souji-kun coming to my rescue." When Chie finished, Rise pretended to brush invisible tears from her eyes and looked at both of them with furrowed eyebrows. As she scolded both her seniors for fighting, her high pigtails seemed to lash out at them with each bob of her head. Chie backed away slowly, but Souji couldn't move at all since Rise still clutched his hand. After lecturing them, she let out a sigh and took them to her place, cooing at Souji during the duration of the short walk.

A few minutes later, Chie and Souji were sitting side by side on the steps of Marukyu Tofu. On Souji's right, Rise was sitting on her knees as she dabbed at his scraped hand with a cotton ball soaked in rubbing alcohol. He winced a little at the powerful sting, but to cover up his discomfort, he stuck his chin on his fist and clenched his jaw.

"You sure were lucky that Souji-senpai was close by," Rise said as she examined the small wound. "I know you're one of our best fighters, but taking on five guys by yourself is pushing it."

"I didn't mean to take on all of them by myself," Chie said curtly. "It just kinda ended up that way…"

"If you think about it, those kinds of things only happen in movies or manga," Rise sighed. "A girl takes a wrong turn into a dark alley and gets ambushed by a gang of thugs, only to be rescued by a dashing young man… Ooh! I wish a dashing young man would do that for me…"

Souji could feel the young idol's eyes try to meet his, but he kept his trained on a spot in the street while Rise began to wind some bandages around his hand. "You know, if this really were a movie, the rescue-ee would be the one tending to her rescuer's wounds," Rise continued, still smiling as she said this.

"Huh? But, you were the one who flagged us down!" Chie said with her voice rising in pitch. "And I didn't have anything to use to—"

"Handkerchiefs are always used as makeshift bandages!" Rise lightly scolded. "It's like a girl's token of appreciation for her rescuer. They used to do something like that in the medieval ages… I think."

"Well, yeah, but Souji-kun and I are just friends," Chie said with raised eyebrows. She then stretched her legs out and stared at her knees, falling into deep thoughts of something before kicking a pebble off of one of the steps.

"In any case, I'm just glad that you guys are okay," Rise added, winding the last bit of bandages around Souji's hand. She tied the two ends in a tight knot and got to her feet. "Sit tight for a sec while I find some scissors."

They listened as her sandaled feet slapped their way into the house without moving from their seats. After a few seconds, Souji raised his hand to his face and saw that there were some extra strands of bandages protruding from the knot. He tugged on one of the ends and softly said, "She's right, you know. You really shouldn't push yourself too hard."

Touched by his concern, Chie held a hand to her chest and looked at him with her mouth open. "Wha…? Souji-kun, what… What makes you say that?"

Souji opened and closed his injured hand slowly a few times, feeling the bandages tighten whenever he made a fist. His eyes focused on it while his mind went elsewhere. "Because… you'll tear."

Chie cocked her head to one said as she slapped her hands down on the warm cement on either side of her. "Because I'll… what?"

He wriggled his fingers loosely without changing the monotone in his voice. "It's like giving birth: if you push too hard, the baby will come out too fast and you'll tear down the—"

"Nononononononononono! Stop! Stop it, Seta!" Chie screamed with her hands clamped tightly over her ears. "What's gotten into you today? First you yell crazy stuff in the alley, then you destroy a bunch of guys all by yourself, and now this insane metaphor—"

"Simile—"

"—Whatever! Yesterday, you were so quiet like usual, and today you're just out of control! Did something happen?" Chie leaned over to get a better look at his face, but Souji turned away. She leaned over some more, almost falling onto the sidewalk, but Souji turned even more to show the smudged footprint on his shirt.

"Okay, I get it," she said as she sat back in her seat. "But, at least now I know that Yukiko's safe with you."

At the mention of Yukiko's name, Souji shifted his eyes slowly towards Chie. His breath caught in his chest and he could feel the blood pumping in his ears. "…What do you mean by that?"

Chie smiled. "Well, first of all, I know that you can fight off a group of guys. And also, remember when we were at that nightclub? You carried her to the taxi and to our hotel room, and you didn't even pull any weird stunt on her. You were even stuck between her and Rise-chan, and you still didn't try anything!"

Souji turned his face towards her with squinted eyes and a scowl, but Chie only flapped a hand at him. "I don't mean anything by it. It's just that… Well, I was kinda happy when she called you her 'boyfriend,' even though she was drunk."

"There wasn't any alcohol…" he said in a lower tone.

"We don't know that! Yeah, they allowed a bunch of high school kids like us in, but that doesn't mean there wasn't any alcohol in the drinks."

Souji's eyes relaxed as he sighed just as Rise came bounding up to them with a pair of scissors in her hand. "Found it! Now, let me see those bandages!"

She carefully snipped away the excess and began to gather up the first aid supplies she had left by Souji. "Hey, were you guys talking about that night at Club Escapade?"

"Yeah, do you remember anything that happened that night?" Chie asked.

"Not really. I think I remember going back to the hotel… I'm not sure." Rise closed the small first aid container, leaving her hands on top of it as she thought. "I think I had a weird dream that I was being dragged… and then I thought I saw you guys, and Yukiko-senpai, and even Naoto-kun…"

She bit her lip in thought, trying to recall the events of the evening while Chie and Souji stood up. "Oh, are you two going already?"

Chie dusted off the back of her shorts before answering. "Yeah, I don't wanna run into those guys again. They already threatened to hurt Yukiko before, and I don't wanna cause you guys any problems, either."

Rise nodded. "Okay. I'll see you tomorrow. Feel better soon, okay, Souji-senpai?"

He felt soft hands try to brush more of the footprint from his back. "Yeah. Thanks, Rise-chan," he said as he held up his hand for a small wave.

The two senpai began the long walk up the hill to their neighborhood, glancing over to the alley as they passed by. Next to her, Souji was silently trying to quell a balloon of wrath that was expanding within him by tensing up his right arm.

"Souji-kun, I've been wondering…" Chie said thoughtfully as she looked up at the cloudy sky. "You've been kinda resistant to asking Yukiko out. Is there any reason why…?"

Releasing the tension in his arm, Souji shoved the wounded hand into his pocket while the other held onto his new book. "Not really. Why do you ask?"

"Well, it's just… you always just say things like, 'she's not your type' or something like that, but you never really even seemed to give her a chance." They approached a traffic light and Chie reached out her leg and delicately tapped the crosswalk button with her toe. "Did you try asking her out awhile back and get turned down?"

Souji stared at the crosswalk light at the other side of the street and started to tap his finger on his book impatiently. "No, nothing like that happened. Even if it did, wouldn't she have said something to you?"

"Well, that's the thing—Yukiko usually forgets when someone tries asking her out, but since you're a good friend of ours, I don't think she would've forgotten it."

"Maybe she was just trying to 'save face' for me."

"Yeah, maybe. Wait, so you _did_ ask her out before?"

Souji shrugged and stabbed the crosswalk button with his thumb. He watched as the stream of cars drove past them with some tractor trailers coughing up black smoke from the pipes atop their heads, filling the air with its toxic fumes. "No," he finally said after a long pause.

"Man, all that build-up just to hear an answer like that…" She laced her fingers behind her head as the vehicles continued to fly past them. "Well, I guess there's still some hope for her. That rumor about her and Naoto-kun got me wondering if there's some truth to it. She did keep trying to invite him to join us every now and then, so maybe…"

She turned her face up at Souji and grinned. "Maybe I'll ask Naoto-kun what he thinks of Yukiko!"

Souji stiffly craned his neck to look at her, and with all the energy he could muster, he hid his fury behind a forced smile. "Yeah, you do that…"

They stood side by side in silence again, watching as the traffic light switched to yellow.

"I really was happy when Yukiko called you 'Boyfriend," Chie repeated without taking her eyes off of the crosswalk sign across the street. Souji opened his mouth to protest, but she cut him off. "Even if she was drunk or whatever, didn't it make you even a little bit happy?"

As Souji contemplated his answer, the traffic light changed to allow the drivers to make a right turn. He reached out and pressed the crosswalk button again while Chie hung her head between her shoulders and sighed.

"I guess, if you were more like Yosuke, you would've been happy," she said softly. "Now that I think about it, when Yukiko did call you 'Boyfriend,' you had this look like you were annoyed."

At long last, the crosswalk gave the two teenagers permission to cross. They stepped down from the curb and strolled across the striped pavement. "Souji-kun, I know that you're a pretty popular guy, so you're probably tired of having girls fawn all over you, but… Could you at least give Yukiko a chance?"

They were about halfway across when Souji grunted, "I already did."

"WHAT? _When? How?_" Chie hooked her hand into his left elbow and jerked him around to face her. "You went out with Yukiko? I thought you said—"

He stared down at her with a tight squint. "We didn't go on a date, we just casually hung out. But I can safely say that we aren't going to work out as well as you had hoped."

"Why not? You two are practically made for each other!"

The mental image of Naoto and Yukiko flashed in Souji's mind as he shouted, "Because she and Shirogane ki—"

A chorus of car horns blared angrily, cutting Souji off and surprising both teens. They found that the traffic lights had changed while they were still standing a ways away from the curb. With a reddened face, Chie pushed Souji the rest of the way to the sidewalk.

"Okay, Yukiko and Naoto-kun did what, you said?" Chie asked as they passed by some houses surrounded by cement walls. It was much quieter in the neighborhood now that they were further away from the Shopping District with the sounds of trees rustling in the wind and birds chirping somewhere above them.

"Huh? Yukiko-san and Shirogane did what?" Souji repeated with raised eyebrows.

"What? You're the one who brought it up! You said their names but I couldn't catch that last part," she said with mild irritation. "Man, you're easier to understand when you don't talk this much…"

Another silence fell between them, and this time, it was so loud that even their soft footfalls seemed to bounce off the cement walls around them. It was only when Chie stopped and pounded a fist into an open palm that the silence was broken. "Of course! The rumor! If Yukiko couldn't be charmed by you, then she must have someone else that she already likes! And that someone is —"

"We can't be certain," Souji said quickly, not wanting to hear the end of her sentence. He had a hurt look in his eyes after hearing her say that Yukiko wasn't charmed by him, but she didn't notice.

"But it makes sense! Yukiko's always trying to invite him to hang out with us, and yesterday when we were all going home, she invited him to hang out again! When he saw that it was Yukiko, I remember that he blushed! Naoto-kun probably likes Yukiko, too!"

Chie started hopping and twirling with her arms high over her head from excitement. "I can't believe I didn't see this before! And Naoto-kun's from a distinguished family, so Yukiko's parents will approve of him easily! They're _perfect_!"

While she pranced around in victory, Souji stood off to the side, feeling as though someone had gutted him and his entrails had fallen out. He looked up and saw Chie dancing further down the road, and with a great effort he took a step forward, imagining that he was stepping on his own innards. He heard her whoop loudly as she ran up one of the cement walls and did a magnificent flip, only to overbalance on the landing and fall hard onto her backside. Souji chuckled when Chie missed her landing, but let out a noise when she popped back up on her feet and resumed dancing again, shaking her fists like she had a pair of maracas in them. The next moment, she froze.

"I thought that Yukiko liking Naoto-kun was just a rumor," she called over her shoulder to Souji.

"…Where there's smoke, there's a juicy steak being grilled," Souji muttered to himself while Chie started walking towards him backwards. "And where there's steak, there's a nosy little Mistress…"

"If it's just a rumor, then we'll have to investigate! Right, Leader?" she asked with a rekindled excitement of reviving the investigation team.

"Wouldn't it be easier to just ask directly?"

"Where's the fun in that? Besides, Yukiko's not the type to just admit anything, and I don't know Naoto-kun well enough to ask him something like that," Chie told him as she hopped to turn around to look at him. "I was thinking that we could do what we did when we thought you and Ebihara were first going out."

Souji let out another noise. "You followed us?"

"Yeah, that day when you bought her that necklace, remember?"

"But I didn't…" He then remembered that Yukiko had called that same night explaining the events of the day that he was dragged off by Ai on a shopping spree. He ground his teeth and felt pressure building in his head. "So… you followed us," he said coldly.

"Now that I hear you say it, it sounds really bad," Chie said with a bashful laugh. "Back then, I thought that you two were serious. And then, when you guys kissed, Yukiko was crying and everything, so I thought maybe she liked you, too. Turned out that she just wasn't feeling well.

"Well anyway, if she really does like Naoto-kun, then I'll have to be there to support her all the way!" she cheered as she started jogging away from Souji. "I'll be fine on my way home, so I'll see you tomorrow!"

Had she turned a half of a second later, she would have noticed the bulging vein protruding from Souji's forehead.

…

With the day still early in the afternoon, Souji thought it best to go back into town and find something else to do, so as not to return home prematurely with volcanic rage that could cause him to eat another one of Nanako's science projects. The plastic bag in his hand fluttered in the warm breeze as he returned to the Central Shopping District.

He stood at the top of the street and eyed the stores down below with casual shoppers and passersby gossiping and laughing with each other. Disgusted with their joy, he blasted a snort out of his nostrils.

"Well, if Yukiko-san is going after fresh detective boy meat, then I'm free to hunt, too," Souji snickered to himself. "Captain Bastard needs some bastardly honey babes!"

He strutted down the hill with his head held high, shoulders back and chest out. All the way down, he went in this manner until he spotted a little orange kitten with a white underside and white paws sitting outside Daidara's Metalworks. Souji abandoned his new cockiness and waddled up to the kitten, taking it up in his arms and cooing at it while it stared back with big yellow-green eyes. It mewed softly at him, and the last of his "hunter" image melted away.

As he fawned over the defenseless creature, he saw two girls he recognized to be a year above him in school waving to him from across the street. Just as another breeze kicked up again, Souji flipped his bangs with a hand and gave them a charming smile. His hair fluttered flirtatiously at the girls and they giggled behind their hands. It was then that a large figure lumbered towards Souji from further up the hill.

"Hey, Senpai!" Kanji called down to Souji. A broad grin formed on the younger teen's face as he raised a large hand in greeting. Souji looked back to the two girls and saw that one of them started pushing the other down the hill to get away from Kanji, whose mere presence was enough to send almost all the other shoppers into a brisk walk to get away from him. Glancing back at the two girls, a disgruntled Souji reached a hand out to them as though to pull them back to him. Sadly for him, they didn't even give him a second look.

"Dammit, Tatsumi! You've frightened them away!" he swore under his breath as he spun around to face Daidara's wall. "If you weren't so fabulous, I would've… No. Instead, I'm gonna love and tolerate the fab outta you!"

He blinked and looked towards the entrance to the metal works shop but knew that Kanji would follow him in there. "After I hide from you, of course."

On his left, his eyes caught on the light-blue glimmer of the Velvet Room door. He sucked in his breath and walked casually over to the door, ignoring Kanji's calls for his attention. Just as he reached the door, a delivery truck made its way up the hill, and as it crossed between the two teenagers' line of sight of each other, Souji reached for the door handle and stumbled in.

"It's been awhile since we've last seen each other."

Lying face-down on the floor, Souji picked his head up to see Margaret beaming down at him from her usual seat. Down by her high-heeled feet, a fuzzy blur of orange darted behind her legs and scrunched itself into a tight ball. Scowling, Souji crawled on his hands and knees and squeezed under the short, round table by the young woman. His shoulder bumped her legs a few times and he muttered some rushed apologies before hitting the back of his head on the bottom of the table. He swore through a clenched jaw before crawling out from beneath the table and produced a shivering orange puff ball in his hands.

"In the future, if a guy ever dives under a lady's table, you have permission to kick him," Souji advised as he took his seat towards the back of the limousine. Across the Velvet Room, Margaret flashed him a gentle smile.

"Because you warned me, I won't kick you today," she mused. Adjacent to her, Igor nodded behind his folded hands.

"Well now, to what do we owe this visit?" he asked in his wonderfully soothing voice.

"Just hiding from someone," their young guest sighed as he crossed his ankle over his knee and set the kitten on his lap. He began to pet it in long, dragged out strokes.

"Was it that rather large man that you're hiding from?" Margaret asked. "Who is he?"

Across the room, Souji let his eyes wander out the window into the hazy blue scene outside. "That was Kanji…"

"Oh, you mean the Emp—"

"—my birth control device," he finished, returning his gaze to the woman in blue. Margaret raised her hand to her face, her dainty fingers just barely touching her lips as she hid a small smile. Igor remained with his head down, still resting it against his hands. The curled edges of his mouth signaled that he, too, found Souji's comment humorous.

"You may not have realized it, but hiding here in the Velvet Room will do you little good," Igor told him. "You see, whenever you come in here, you enter a dream-like state while your body remains in the physical world."

The kitten on Souji's lap started to purr as he laid his hand on it. "So, I'm not really hiding?"

Igor slowly shook his head. "I am afraid not. Is there anything more we can do for you?"

"Well…" He exhaled heavily through his nose. "Is it possible for the other arcanas to see each other's card flip over if they have a reversal in their relationships?"

"Your friends are not aware of the arcana, except for when it comes to shadows," he explained. "They also do not know of the Social Links that you possess with each of them."

"And to begin with, you and your friends make up the Fool Arcana, not just you. Therefore, it's impossible for them to even pinpoint that it's you who's been reversed," Margaret added. "But how convenient it would be if your friends could see that they had upset you…"

"Yeah… how convenient…" Souji mumbled as he stood up. Turning towards the door, he took up the kitten in one hand and his book in the other. "Well, thanks anyway…"

"One moment, if you please," came Igor's light voice from behind him. "Even if there is no Social Link to benefit, it would be best to—"

"That's none of your business," Souji snapped, keeping his back to the other occupants of the room. Igor remained motionless while Margaret looked as though Souji's harsh words had shoved her back in her seat. Hanging his head, Souji sighed. "Sorry. I just need to deal with this myself, okay?"

Without any more words passing between them, Souji stepped out of the Velvet Room, where he could feel his shoulder being shaken by a wild-eyed Kanji.

"H-Hey, Senpai? You okay? You look like a zombie or somethin'," he said in his raspy, concerned voice.

Blinking a few times to focus his eyes, Souji slowly raised his face to his friend, feeling a bit groggy as though he had just woken from a nap. "Yeah, I'm fine," he told him, feeling his anger creep slowly back into him.

"Great! Hey, are you hungry? I heard about this new dish at Aiya's," Kanji said as he began to steer Souji up the street. "Is Nanako-chan still stuck at home all the time? I know this show she might like. You might like it, too, Senpai! It's really cute, but it doesn't kill my stomach with its sugary-goodness, so—"

"Why were you watching a show meant for little girls?" Souji grumbled, but his question went unheard as Kanji excitedly continued to chatter up the hill.

…

Up towards the northern part of Inaba, the Amagi Inn was buzzing with activity as always. Although Yukiko had just returned from the class trip the previous evening, she was still assigned some work. It didn't matter much to her—she was in too good a mood to not help out.

At the front desk, her mother, Sachiko, was busying herself with incoming patrons. The figure of her young daughter caught her attention and she called her over.

"Yukiko, would you go to room 142 and check up on our guest?" she asked kindly.

"Of course, Mother," Yukiko said cheerfully. She went back down the hallway she had just come from, but greeting guests and maids alike. She turned into the kitchen and took up a tea set on a small black tray and continued on to her destination. Having memorized all the room numbers at a young age, she didn't need to check the numbers above the doors to ensure she was going to the right room. When she did find room 142, she knelt by the door, set down the tea set, and knocked.

"Come in," a deep and firm womanly voice said from within. With her right hand, Yukiko reached up to the small round indent of the door and opened it just enough to reach back down into the crack of the door, open it a few more inches and switch hands to open it all the way with her left hand. When she looked up, her face burst with delight.

"Kirijo-sama! It's you!" she cried happily as she picked up the tray.

"Yukiko-chan, it's good to see you," Mitsuru said with a smile on her own face. "No need to be so formal. Would you join me for some tea?"

"Yes, of course!" Yukiko repeated the process for closing the door in reverse before going over to the short table and setting the tray down. Across the room, a set of thin double doors were opened up to a grand view of the inn's garden. "Are you here on vacation, Mitsuru Onee-sama?"

"Yes. I enjoyed my stay last year and thought I would return," she answered. "Most of my surroundings are very westernized, so your family's inn is a comfortable way to return to my roots."

Yukiko carefully poured some tea and passed the cup to her. "Onee-sama, my school visited Tatsumi Port Island just this past weekend. Their school is magnificent, and far better furbished than ours! Did you attend Gekkoukan High School?"

After taking a small sip, Mitsuru answered. "I did. I was Student Council President during my senior year."

"Then, were you the one that the current president spoke about?"

"You mean Fushimi? Yes, she sent me an email saying that her speech was a success." Pausing to take another sip, Mitsuru shifted her gaze towards the garden. "I wish I could have seen it.

"Enough about me, how have you been? You look much happier than when I saw you last year."

Beneath her, Yukiko's toes wriggled anxiously. "Well, a lot has happened this past year. I got myself… a Persona…"

The elder woman's eyes nearly bugged out as she sipped her tea again, but with as much control as she could muster, she lowered her cup from her lips and dabbed a napkin around her mouth. "I beg your pardon? What did you…?"

"Oh! I-I mean… I've met someone…" she said timidly with a smile. Her voice trailed off again and her fingers lightly drummed against her own cup. Adjacent to her left, Mitsuru's eyes lit up warmly.

"You have? _C'est magnifique_!" she congratulated. Yukiko almost reached out her arms for a hug, but when she saw that Mitsuru hadn't made a move to do so, she raised her arms to her hair and pretended to tuck a few loose strands behind her ears.

"Um, but we promised to keep our relationship secret, so please don't tell anyone," she pleaded. "I'm not even supposed to tell you, but I know I can trust you. It's just that…we don't want to make a big deal about it."

"I'm honored, but it _is_ a big deal. Just last year, your only friend was that dear Satonaka girl. And now, you've procured a boyfriend!"

Just hearing someone else say that she had a boyfriend made Yukiko's face glow red. "It's really nothing..."

"I don't think he would appreciate you calling him 'nothing'," Mitsuru chuckled. "So tell me, what kind of person is he? What does he look like?"

The image of Souji popped into her head. "Well, he's tall and very smart. He doesn't really talk much, but he doesn't really need to."

"He isn't the strong, silent brooder, is he?" the elegant woman asked with a cocked brow.

"Oh, no. He's not brooding at all! He can be quite funny at times and he's very honest and trust-worthy."

"…And handsome?"

Yukiko propped her elbow on the table and rested her chin in her hand. "…Very. And his silver hair is so soft…"

"Silver?" A dark eye peeked out from beneath her thick, deep-red bangs. "Yukiko-chan, is his name… Souji Seta?"

The weight of her head lifted off of her hand as Yukiko sat up a little. "Yes, but how did you know that?"

"Two nights ago, I went to the local shrine and found him there. He looked terribly distressed, but was still able to make a joke…

"At least, I believe that was a joke that he made," she added thoughtfully. "He didn't seem like a bad guy, but he certainly didn't look well."

"He didn't say anything about this to me," Yukiko whispered in disbelief. "Did something happen? What happened two nights ago that might've…"

Mitsuru looked at the teenager with concern. "It looks like you didn't know about it at all. Maybe you should talk to him? Why don't you give him a call?"

"Yeah… But, I'm working right now, so I can't—"

Mitsuru laid a delicate but reassuring hand onto hers. "Don't worry. I won't tell your _boss_ about any of this. How can I call myself an 'elder sister' if I don't act like one?" she said with a grin.

Yukiko nodded and produced her cell phone from her pink kimono's sleeve. She flipped the red phone open and dialed Souji's number and listened for his voice. "Are you sure he was upset about something? Even if we've been seeing each other for months, it's still hard for me to tell if he's bothered by something."

"The tone in his voice made it apparent. But when I offered to take him back to the hotel, he gave the impression that he had recovered."

Yukiko listened to her phone for a few more seconds. Without saying anything, she pressed a button and flipped it closed.

"Voice mail…" she whispered. "I think he forgot to charge his phone."

As she returned her phone to her sleeve, Mitsuru stood up and readjusted her yukata. "There's nothing you can do until he recharges his phone or you see him again. For now, why don't you tell me more about what's been happening with you while we take a walk around the garden?"

…

Outside of Aiya's, Souji found himself face-to-face with two gaunt-faced officers who were grilling Kanji about some reports of teenage bullies. They approached them with the inclination that they had been bullying a boy by the river. At just the last second, the boy that they had been seeing by the river showed up and explained that Kanji had made him some dolls.

"Dolls?" One of the officers barked. "And you're saying that Tatsumi made them?"

"What a load of… There's no way you're getting me to believe that," the other officer said.

"Believe it!" Souji shot as he balanced his kitten onto his arm. Next to him, Kanji gave him a look of relief.

"Senpai…" he said softly. "I get it now, what I need to do…"

He snapped his head back to the policemen and straightened his back as much as he could. "Awright, listen up, punks… There ain't no lying about it," he said proudly. "I made the kid some dolls. What with the ones for his friends and his mom, it was eight all told! And lemme warn you… They're so cute, they'll give you diabetes—the instantly fatal kind!"

He took a heavy step towards them, causing them to take a step back. "So what, you want me to teach you how to make 'em? Huh?"

The officers stared back with mouths hanging open. The thought of dolls crossing with this man-boy refused to register in their minds. "What…?" one of them managed to breathe, but all it did was agitate Kanji further.

"You 'bout to say that ain't like me, right?" His lifted his other leg and stomped it into the ground. It was as if he had shaken the earth with the way the officers' legs trembled and their faces twisted up. "Go ahead and laugh, dammit!"

Kanji took a step back and sighed, but his scowl didn't leave with his breath. "Like I care. I'm used to being pointed at. And what's most important is, I ain't gonna make this kid or Senpai a liar!"

Behind him, the boy looked up in awe at his new-found hero. His little fingers tightened their grips on the little paper bag of cookies his mother had made for Kanji as a thank-you for the dolls, but the contents remained unharmed. He stared on in admiration as Kanji threatened to officer to sew back on the loose button of his uniform just as a middle-aged woman in a green kimono came up to them.

"Officer…? What are you doing with my Kanji?" the woman asked as she took her son by the arm.

"Oh—Well, Ma'am, there've been several cases of bullying around here, so…" the officer tried to explain, but Kanji's mother rested her cheek against Kanji's muscular arm.

"Kanji had nothing to do with them," she said firmly. Her son pulled away from her in surprise and looked down at her.

"Ma…" he said barely above a whisper, unable to get over the shock that she was standing up for him.

"He would never do such a thing," she continued. "He may be stupid and short-tempered, but he's a strong and gentle child. Why, just the other day, he showed me his dolls, and he told me I can put them up for sale…"

_Kanji, your mom has got it goin' on,_ Souji thought as the kitten squirmed in his arms.

"Y-You old bag! What're you saying?" Kanji yelled at the woman, but her countenance remained the same. Realizing that they were beat, the two officers said some hasty apologies before leaving up the hill. Souji could have sworn that one of them said something along the lines of, "So that's where he gets his scariness…"

"M-Ma… You'd believe me over the police…?" Kanji asked in a tiny voice.

"You would never do such a thing," she told him as she reached out and straightened his shirt. "A mother knows."

She backed away and looked at the watch on the inside of her wrist. "I need to prepare for dinner now… Don't go stuffing yourself at Aiya before coming home," she warned. Afterward, she walked past him with short, quick steps towards their home.

"I…" Kanji uttered and ran a hand through his platinum-blonde hair. He turned away from Souji and the boy and sniffed.

"Mister… Are you crying?" the boy asked, trying to walk around the teenager to get a better look.

Kanji quickly wiped his tears onto his sweat-covered arm. "N-N-No! I ain't crying!" he barked without looking back at the boy. "This is… snot! I got a cold!"

He sniffed hard and turned back to the boy. "You wanna catch it? Huh?"

The boy only looked at him quizzically, not even feeling the least bit threatened by his hero. Instead, he handed Kanji the bag of cookies, said "Thanks again!" with a smile and ran home. Kanji held the bag loosely in his hands as the sharp sound of him sniffing cut through the air.

"Dammit… M-My nose won't stop runnin'…" he said with a shaky voice. He turned away from Souji just as a blinding white light invaded his sight and the image of the Emperor Arcana emerged. When his eyes cleared, Kanji was frantically wiping his tears away while snot flowed freely from his nostrils.

"So… How about that show you said that Nanako-chan might like?" Souji said casually in an attempt to distract his friend.

A few more sniffs came from Kanji before he gave a final deep sniffle and turned back to Souji. "Oh yeah," he said with a tremble in his voice. "Th-That show… yeah… It's on TV in the afternoon, but you can watch the episodes online."

As he recovered from the earlier event through talking about the show, Souji walked him back to his home further up the hill. He left Kanji by the front door with a large grin on his face and a feeble "Thanks" before the door closed behind him. From there, he decided that it was time for him to return home.

…

Once home, the usual greeting from Nanako floated up from the table in the family room. When she saw the little puffy orange fur ball in her cousin's hands, she ran up to him and took the kitten in her arms.

"A kitten!" she cried happily. "What's its name?"

"Haven't given it one yet," Souji said as he set his book on the kitchen table. He looked to the TV and saw a man in a mask slowly make his way to a teenage girl with a knife gleaming in his hand. "Nanako-chan… What are you watching?"

"I don't know," she answered, holding the kitten like a baby in her arms. "It's really boring, though. I don't get what's happening."

She took a seat on the couch and set the kitten on her knees, but it leaped away from her and sniffed the pillow nearby. She reached over and picked it up and it began to bat its tiny white paws at one of her pigtails.

"Haha! Stop, Kitten," she giggled as she reached for one of her pigtails to wave at the kitten. On the TV screen, the man with the large knife had reached his victim and was stabbing her repeatedly while she screamed desperately for help. At this, Souji ran over to the remote and randomly punched in some numbers, switching the channel to a colorful cartoon with different variations of equestrian characters.

"Oh. I think Kanji watches this show," Souji said as he set the remote down on the short table. From the couch, Nanako looked up at the screen and tilted her head.

"Papa Kanji watches a show with ponies, unicorns and pegasuses?" she asked, putting the kitten down next to her.

"It's 'pegasi,' not pegasususususes," Souji corrected her playfully. "He said that this show is actually pretty good, even if it's targeted at the young female demographic."

"But, he's a big man. Why would he want to watch a girl's cartoon?"

Souji looked back to the TV and watched as a blue pegasus with a rainbow mane and tail tried to teach her soft-spoken friend how to properly cheer at a decent volume. "How should I know? He only told me about it today…"

As he watched the lesson continue, he couldn't help but notice how adorable the timid pegasus was and sat down next to Nanako. When the blue pegasus shouted at her friend to cheer louder, the cream-colored one inhaled deeply and let out a long, barely audible "yay" that made the other one slap a blue hoof into her own face and fall backwards in disappointment. The other pegasus looked at her and asked in her ever-soft voice, "Too loud?"

"My inner girl says to hug it," Souji muttered to himself as the show's opening song began to play.

"Hug what?"

"That cheesecake-looking one," Souji said as he pointed to the cream-colored pegasus with a pink mane and tail when she appeared on the screen.

"You mean Fluttershy?"

"What's a 'Fluttershy'?"

"The one you called 'Cheesecake.' She's really quiet and shy, and she loves animals. But if her friends are in danger, she'll fight."

"Oh, really? She fights for her friends?" _Why does that sound so familiar? I don't know about you, but I don't know any ponies with that kind of personality._

"Yeah! She's one of my favorites because she reminds me of Big Sis Yukiko!"

Souji's body tensed up at the sound of his girlfriend's name. Mechanically, he stretched his arm over to the kitten on Nanako's lap, pinched it by the scruff of its neck, and like those crane games in arcades, he brought it to his own lap and dropped it by his knees. It was then that his cousin saw his bandaged hand.

"What happened there?" she asked as she poked at the bandages. Without moving his head, he turned his eyes downward at his hand.

"Don't walk down alleys, even in daylight," was all he said. After that, side from a few giggles here and there, the two sat watching the show quietly. Whenever the pegasus named Fluttershy came on screen, Souji would think to himself, _I hope this doesn't lead to an unhealthy relationship with ponies…_

By the end of the episode, the kitten had curled up on Souji's lap and was dead asleep. Even when he and Nanako laughed together, it would only twitch or stretch before resuming its doughnut shape. When the credits had given way to the next show, Nanako changed the channel to the news while Souji carefully picked up the kitten and neatly placed it on the cushion next to him.

"Does that show air every day at the same time?" he asked, barely able to contain the hopefulness in his tone.

"Uh huh. Why? Do you want to watch some more?" His cousin went over to the kitten and petted it lightly while Souji searched his brain for an answer.

"No, that's all right. This show's for kids and I've got a lot to do tomorrow," he told her, more to reassure himself than inform his cousin.

"Oh. Okay."

Souji felt his stomach drop to the floor at the sight of his cousin's disappointed face. He had seen her make that expression one too many times already. "So… What shall we make for dinner? I could use some help."

At his invitation, Nanako got to her little bare feet and accompanied her cousin to the kitchen, almost skipping to the refrigerator.

…

With leftover pouches of Chakin Sushi put away and Souji piping hot from a bath, he bid his cousin and uncle good-night as he headed up to his room. Earlier, he had stashed the kitten up there when his uncle returned home unexpectedly early, and now it was fast asleep next to his pillow on his futon. He threw himself down onto his sofa and saw the battered plastic bag that contained his new book. With a groan, he leaned forward and picked it up, placing his feet on the table when he sat back. When he pulled it out of the bag, his face fell.

"I paid 1763 yen for a book _about_ maidens, _for_ maidens, _by_ maidens? I thought I got a zombie book!"

He smacked the book to his forehead, startling the kitten enough to make it twitch but not fully awaken. "Ponies, kittens, maidens, Kanji… The manliest thing I've done all day was hang out with Chie!"

Souji tossed the book to the other side of his sofa and crossed his arms over his chest. "Well, no wonder I'm failing with women—I've lost my manly spark! I'm no better than Mahbetch!"

He hunched over in his seat and held his hands over his eyes. "Oh my gawd, I'm a _lesbian_!"

Struggling to his feet, he trudged over to his futon and let himself fall on top of it. His face smashed into his pillow, but he didn't care. "No wonder I lost Girlfriend—she's not into girls like me…"

His words were muffled by the pillow and blasts of hot and moist air clung to his face with each syllable. He slowly rolled his head to the side, where his vision was partially obstructed by the orange fluff of the kitten. Sensing his face, the kitten got up, stretched, and stared at him.

"You don't think I'm girly, do you?" he asked it miserably. It replied by prodding his face with a white paw. The soft pink pads pressed against his mouth, as if telling him to shut up.

"Well, aren't you a rude little kitten," he mumbled. He rolled onto his back. "And how womanly did I sound saying that? I think I'm ready for my breasts…"

A soft knock on his door got him to snap his mouth shut. "Big Bro? I'm doing laundry tomorrow, so can you bring your clothes down to the laundry room for me, please? It's too heavy for me to do."

_This calls for brute manly strength!_ "I'll bring it down. Thanks, Nanako-chan," he called back and listened as her soft footfalls faded down the stairs. With a sigh, he got up and started gathering his clothes up in his arms before tossing them in his blue laundry basket. He sifted through the pockets and found bits of spare change and other things here and there. In his jeans that he wore that day, he pulled out the shrine charm from Yukiko and his dead cell phone.

"When did you die?" he asked it woefully, but of course, it remained silent. He placed the shrine charm onto his pillow before going to his desk and pulling out his phone charger. He plugged it into the socket by his desk and set his phone next to his pillow. He turned it on and went back to his laundry, sifting through more and more pockets until he had a decent pile of coins and loose bills atop his table. Once he was sure he had gotten everything, he threw everything into the laundry basket and headed for the door. As he bumped the basket against the door frame, his phone began to buzz softly to let him know that he had received a text message. The kitten, enamored with the little device, sniffed it and laid its little orange body onto top. Within minutes, it was back to sleep.

…

"I guess his phone really is dead. It still went straight to voicemail."

It was after hours, and Yukiko had let Mitsuru join her in the inn's hot springs. As the only two occupants, they helped each other wash their hair and scrub their backs before relaxing in the heated water under the now visible summer stars.

"You said that he's always busy, so maybe he hadn't had a chance to recharge his phone," Mitsuru said as she swept some of her dampened hair out of her face. "It must be exceedingly difficult for you two to spend any time together."

With a sigh, Yukiko snapped her phone shut and set it down on a rock. "It is. This past summer break, we barely saw each other at all. The most we can do is send each other messages or call each other late at night."

"What do you talk about when you do get to talk?"

"Oh, just things like how our day was, or that our friends are planning to go inside the… I mean, planning to go to Junes." She smiled at her near slip-up and went back to grab her phone. "Or sometimes, I like to send him messages like this."

She scooted over to Mitsuru and showed her the screen.

"A math problem?" the elder woman asked.

"When you solve it, it becomes…" Yukiko typed something else on her phone and showed it again.

"The solution? '_I heart you'_? Well, aren't you clever!" Mitsuru teased. As Yukiko turned away to put her phone safely on the rock, Mitsuru splashed her back lightly with some of the hot water.

"It's 'I love you,' not 'heart'!" she laughed as she returned fire.

"Have you ever told him that?"

Yukiko placed a hand on her shoulder and almost curled into herself. "I did. Over the summer break, I told him and… he looked so happy…"

She reached up and stroked some strands of silky hair that clung together. "Onee-sama, did you ever love anyone before? Have you ever told him before how you felt?" she asked, and there was a small glint of sadness in Mitsuru's eyes.

"I believe I did, but he already had someone else," she admitted. "But, it was obvious that we weren't meant to be, so it didn't hurt as badly as I thought it would. I never got to say anything, but it was for the best."

The two stared down into the water, unsure of what to say next. After a few moments, Yukiko looked to Mitsuru and smiled. "Onee-sama, I hope that you find someone as special to you as Souji-kun is to me."

"Hold on to him," Mitsuru advised with a smile. "He sounds like a good man. I might even steal him for myself."

At her playful threat, Yukiko responded by sticking out her tongue. "You'll have to fight me for him!"

At that, their hot water splashing battle began anew with screams and laughter that escaped into the night.

…

**Author's note:**

Hm, Yukiko versus Mitsuru, fire versus ice… Something to think about.

Hey all. Sorry I hadn't been able to come out with any chapters in the past…seven…months… oopsie. I found that my problem was that I was getting tired of writing this one piece. After attending a writers' conference and taking a creative writing class, I learned that it's best to have multiple projects going on so that if you get stuck on one, you can move on to another and not stress out on the first one. And now I'm sharing that little tip with the rest of you. Be happy. It cost me about $100 for that conference.

Thanks for your patience. I am going to stop making promises of coming out with chapters sooner because I really shouldn't make promises that I can't keep. Hm, only took me two failures to finally learn from that. Not bad.

By the way, Fluttershy is from a little show called "My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic" by Lauren Faust. That show is not just for little girls. I swear.

Also, the kitten is modeled after my own cat. Cute, right? Even Souji couldn't resist her.

Thanks, everyone, for continuing to read my fic. Thanks also to my brother and cousin, who contributed some quotes and things.

Oh yeah, special thanks to **Mayumi-H** for helping me out through this chapter. If it weren't for her, this chapter may have gone up to 50,000+ words. I'm not kidding. Why else did you think it took me so long to produce this one?


	20. Chapter 20

_That damnable Kanji! How dare he show me ponies!_

Souji exploded out of the house, his shirt buttons in mismatched holes, hair sticking out in every which way and his school bag in one hand and lunch in the other.

In the doorway, Nanako was carrying the little orange kitten in her arms with her hand clutching Souji's phone. "Big Bro, you forgot your—"

"Just give it some milk, Nanako!" he called over his shoulder as he disappeared around the wall. "Don't forget to lock the door!"

"But you forgot your-!"

He didn't hear her over the loud smacking of his shoes hitting the pavement. His heart was racing at the thought of being late, knowing that Kashiwagi would call him out in some way that would make him wish he could take another King Moron vomit bath instead.

"I can't believe I'm going to get molested for watching ponies!" he howled down the street, causing the heads of the many citizens to follow him.

Just then, a student on a creaky bike rode by with a passenger riding behind him. Souji looked up and recognized the green track jacket around the passenger's waist. "Chie! Yosuke!"

Chie craned her neck to look back at him and pulled an apologetic look. "Sorry, Seta! We'll see you in class!"

"Easy for you to say!" Yosuke grunted, pedaling with all his might. "You're not doing any of the work!"

"You didn't have to give me a ride!"

"You're right. Get off!"

"Are you crazy? I'll be late!"

Souji could still hear them arguing almost a block away. He frowned at them both. "What good are the both of you?" he screamed after them, easily making himself winded as he ran. With a furious yell, he tore down the street after them, seriously debating if he wanted to yank Chie off and steal her place.

…

"This is so unlike you, Seta."

The sultry voice of Kashiwagi made him shudder as he stood at the front of the class, sweating profusely and still very unkempt. She made a slow, little circle around him and eyed him hungrily.

"You might want to fix your shirt," she pointed out, tapping a slender finger against one of the mismatched buttons on his chest. "Or do you need someone to help you?"

He took a large step away from her. "I'm fine," he told her, mustering all his strength to sound calm. "May I go to the restroom to fix myself?"

She flitted a hand as she walked away from him. "Not until after homeroom. Think of it as a little punishment for being late."

When he was dismissed, he walked the walk of shame down the row to his seat. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Yukiko making a face at him. He couldn't tell what kind of face it was—he couldn't even bring himself to look at her.

To avoid her stare, he shifted his attention to Kashiwagi, who had begun to call roll. Whenever she called a name, she pretended to scan the room in search of the student just so she could eye Souji for a split second. Every time she did this, he felt bile rise up in his throat. When she called his name, she looked directly at him for a few seconds, taking the time to lick her lips at him.

When homeroom ended, he shot out of the room and into the safety of the men's restroom. He still checked over his shoulder every now and then to make sure that Kashiwagi hadn't followed him.

…

Halfway through the class before lunch, Souji had managed to calm down and no longer felt his Kashiwagi senses tingling. He was composed enough to have his notebook out to take notes on Nakayama's math lesson, but like most of his classmates he was not focused on the lecture. Her lectures were usually conducted using half complaints about her personal life, and half obscure bits of information.

"…Studies show that women are less forgiving when their male companion cheats on them. I guess I should be thankful for my husband, who just sits around asking when dinner's going to be ready instead of disappearing at odd hours…"

_You can't be serious,_ Souji cringed, in complete disbelief at the topic of her lecture. He scribbled some notes, then returned to a previous page where he was drawing Naoto getting eaten by a tyrannosaurus rex.

Nakayama turned away from the blackboard and set her book down on the podium. As usual, her eyelids were caked with eye shadow, and her lips were coated with red lipstick. Souji idly wondered if she wore that much make-up to repel her husband.

"However, men seem to be more forgiving if their female counterpart cheats on them with other women. Personally, if I get bored of my husband, I just go online and watch my stocks…"

_But Girlfriend didn't cheat on me with a girl,_ he thought miserably as he drew himself laughing triumphantly at Naoto getting eaten. _Dammit, I think I could've forgiven her if she made out with Chie, or Rise-chan. Hell, even Teddie's forgivable!_

He scribbled a bit of notes, but lost the thought halfway. Instead of erasing what he had, he wrote, "because you can become five-percent pregnant" and went back to raging at Naoto.

_Who the hell does he think he is? Coming into my town, mackin' on my woman, seducing all the other women, and forcing his way into our crew? That's disrespect, yo._ Mentally, he slapped a hand to his face. _Great, and now he turned me gangster. _

He rested his head against a fist and tapped his pencil on his notebook. Without him really realizing it, he started to draw Naoto getting gored on a unicorn's horn. He was just adding some Xs for eyes when he glanced up at Yukiko.

_Maybe I'll pull a Girlfriend and set Shirogane on fire,_ he mused, and drew himself setting Naoto's head on fire.

"Women love it when their boyfriends or husbands tell them they love them, but be warned—men are usually the first to say 'I love you' just to seduce women. _Don't_ fall for it! Unless, of course, you two have really been dating seriously then maybe it's okay to believe him."

Souji froze and his pencil dropped from his hand and rolled to the floor. _Did I ever tell her that? I know she said it to me, but I don't think I ever…_

He looked at Yukiko again, admiring how her hair shook as she erased something on her notes. _Should I tell her? But, after this lecture, she might think I'm just seducing her. Then again, I'm not exactly Teddie, so she might believe me._

_What the hell am I thinking? I'm the one with trust issues after she stuck her tongue down Shirogane's throat! Damn you, boy! You forced my hand! I'm going to have to talk to her during lunch!_

The lunch bell rang, and Chie sprang up from her seat and tugged on Yukiko's sleeve. "Come on! The first-years are gonna get all the good stuff if we don't hurry!"

"In a minute, Chie," Yukiko said. "I want to go over notes with Souji-kun."

"You can do that after we get food," Chie argued, still tugging on her sleeve. "You know I skipped breakfast today!"

Yukiko sighed and rose to her feet. "I do now. All right, let's go."

A loud "whoo-hoo!" escaped Chie as they left the classroom. Souji could have sworn that Yukiko peeked at him through the crack in the door right before she closed it fully. He then balled his hands into tight fists.

_Okay, she's coming back to talk to me, so I can tell her then. Or maybe on the roof. Or at Junes. Or maybe I should throw us into the TV so we definitely get some privacy. No! I have to tell her as soon as I get the chance. I must. I MUST!_

"Oh, Senpaaaaai!"

Souji looked up and saw Rise bound up to him with bouncing pigtails. "Rise-chan, what're you doing here?"

"I tried texting you earlier to ask if you wanted to eat lunch together, but you didn't answer," she said. "So, I thought I'd deliver the message myself."

"That's very thoughtful of you, but—"

She leaned in with both hands on his desk. "Actually, there's something I need to talk to you about," she whispered, her face now serious. She leaned in closer so that their noses almost touched. "It's about Yukiko-senpai."

He thrust himself forward, making Rise lean back. "What about Yukiko-san?" he said in a very low tone.

"Not here," Rise whispered, straightening herself. "Meet me on the roof. I'm going to get us some drinks."

She spun around, accidentally slapping Souji in the face with her soft pigtails and left the room. He looked at Yukiko's empty chair, sighed, then picked up his bento box and headed for the roof.

…

The cloudy sky was a lie. Even up high on a rooftop at the top of a hill, there was little wind and the thick, humid air threatened to suffocate Souji. Still, he trudged over to the usual corner and sat down to wait. Five seconds later, he lay down with his hands up by his head. He felt like he was melting into the cement.

"Thnow…" Souji whispered lazily to himself, too weak to enunciate properly. "Thummer can thuck it. I wanna take some thnow and thnuggle the hell outta it. And then I'll tell it how muts I…"

The door to the roof opened, and Rise strode up with two cans of soda in her hands. She took a seat next to Souji, with only his lunch keeping her from sitting too close.

"Sorry it took so long," she said, setting both cans next to the bento. "There were some first-year guys, but they let me cut when they saw it was me."

Souji stayed as he was, and Rise placed one of the cans in his open palm. "Oh, you made lunch," she squealed, and Souji sat up to open it.

She took one of the little Chakin Sushi pouches and bit into it. "Mmm, good stuff! You're a culinary genius, Souji-senpai!" she said, hiding her full mouth with a hand.

"Nanako-chan helped."

"She did? Oh, so she's the source of your culinary prowess!"

Souji took one of the little pouches and took a bite. It had tasted great last night, but today, he could have eaten eraser bits and not known the difference. "So, what did you need to talk about?"

Rise set her sushi down and cracked open her can of TaP. "Hm? Oh yeah, that. I had a weird dream a few days ago about Yukiko-senpai. I can't really remember it all, but it felt really real."

"So, what happened in the dream?"

"Well, I felt like I was getting dragged into this dark place," she started, setting her soda down. "Then, I remember seeing an open door, and Yukiko-senpai was there. I think I saw you and Naoto there, too."

Souji felt a jolt of panic up his spine. _Why does it sound like I saw her dream?_

"Anyway, I saw Yukiko-senpai and Naoto holding each other, and then they…" she trailed off and gasped. "Senpai, I think I saw them—"

"Explode?"

"Yes! What? No!" Rise shook her head, her pigtails brushing her ears softly. "I saw them kiss!"

Souji felt his heart do its own little explosion in his chest. "What made you dream that up?" he asked with a forced calm in his voice.

"I don't know!" she cried, her voice squeaking when it rose too high. "I thought it was weird, too, and it felt real. But then when I went to get our drinks just now I saw Yukiko-senpai wave to Naoto and he just pulled his cap over his eyes and walked away!"

"Rise-chan, calm down," he told her through the pounding in his ears. "This is all stuff that could get Yukiko-san and Shirogane some unwanted attention. You remember how you felt when people were spreading rumors about you, right?"

Rise looked down at her feet. "Yeah, I guess you're right, Senpai. I'm sorry."

"Good, because stuff like this could have damaged Yukiko-san's image and her family's image as well. If people got wind that she was drunk and making out with people she barely knew, it could ruin her! Who knows what kind of lies people will make up? And she already had a lot of other rumors to deal with earlier this year, so this would just shame her to death!"

Rise picked up her sushi pouch and nibbled on it, looking very remorseful. Souji also took a big bite out of his when she popped up out of her seat. "What if my dream was trying to tell me that Yukiko-senpai actually likes Naoto?"

Souji felt bits of chicken lodge into his throat, sending him into a violent coughing fit.

"Don't you see, Senpai? Why else would Naoto be so shy around her? He's not like that with anyone else!" she cried with a gleam in her eyes. "Right, Senpai?"

She turned to Souji and saw him smacking the back of his neck while gasping for air. She stood him up, wrapped her arms around his middle and squeezed in short, strong pulses until he coughed up some chicken bits.

"Senpai, are you okay?" she asked, helping him back to his seat.

He sucked in fresh air through his nose, still breathing hard. "Yeah, thanks."

"Don't scare me like that, Senpai. I was afraid I wasn't going to be able to save you," she sighed. "But, it's great to see that you're just as excited as me about them getting together. You're such a good guy, Senpai!"

She popped the rest of her sushi pouch into her mouth and grabbed another one. "You know, I'm pretty impressed with how passionate you are with your friends. Are you even more passionate when it comes to a girl you like?"

Souji picked up his soda. "Not sure. Haven't found her yet," he grunted, taking a sip.

She smiled. "I'm sure that she'd be pretty happy, knowing how caring you can be."

Rise finished her second pouch and the rest of her soda. "Thanks for lunch, Senpai, and for meeting me. Sorry to dine and dash, but there's something else I have to do right now."

She got up and started towards the door. "Oh, and Senpai? If you do find the right girl, make sure that she knows how special she is to you, okay?"

The door closed with a heavy _thunk _as it closed behind her, and Souji let out a small cough.

"Well, now that that's over, maybe I can just call Girlfriend up here," he muttered as he reached into his pocket for his cell phone. To his dismay, all he had in his hand was pocket lint.

"Did I drop it?" he asked himself, standing up and patting all his pockets. "Did I forget it at home? Is it in my bag?"

He lifted his bento box, but found nothing. He looked around the empty rooftop in search of a little black phone, but only saw cement. Groaning in annoyance, he gathered up his bento box and empty cans and headed back inside where he ran into Yosuke, who occupied the rest of his lunch time talking about some show that Kanji had tried to get him to watch.

…

Not getting the chance to ask Souji about the notes, Yukiko sent a text to him during afternoon classes if he would meet her after school. She glanced back at him to see if he had received her message, but he kept his head down as he scribbled in his notebook. Figuring that he hadn't felt his phone vibrate a notification, she slid her phone back into her pocket and resumed taking notes. She nearly jumped out of her seat when she felt her own phone vibrate. Tapping her toes rapidly inside her shoes, she waited impatiently for Kashiwagi to turn her back to the class and the second she did, she whipped out her phone with the expectation to see Souji's response. Her excitement deflated when she saw that it was a text from her mother asking her to buy some tofu after school. As she replaced her cell phone into her skirt pocket, she silently swore her never-ending loathing for tofu.

When the final bell rang, she swiftly threw all her stuff into her book bag and sprang up from her desk to face Souji, only to see that he wasn't there. She whipped her head around looking for him and just caught a glimpse of his silver head leaving the classroom.

"Sou—" she started to call, but didn't want to cause a scene.

Chie looked at her funny. "So… what?"

Yukiko cleared her throat. "So, um, so I was thinking that, um, I had better hurry home, so I can't really hang out today," she lied. "Sorry, Chie."

"It's cool. We can hang out tomorrow." Chie waved. "See ya!"

Yukiko nodded and ran out of the room, chasing Souji down the hallway. Students flooded the hallways, making her dodge the moving obstacles on her way to him. She side-stepped around a group of boys that were walking in a line and slid between some girls laughing by the stairs. From the top of the stairs, she could see Souji by the shoe lockers.

"Souji-kun!" she called, but she was drowned out by the chatter of the students. She pushed her way down to him, getting buffeted by the other students and watched as he shut his shoe locker and headed out the door.

"Souji-kun!"

"Yukiko-senpai!"

Yukiko leaned heavily against the lockers and turned around to look for who had called her and saw Rise emerge from the river of students.

"Rise-chan, what is it?" she asked, glancing back over to Souji.

"Can I talk to you for a second? It'll be really quick," Rise insisted.

"I'm sorry, I can't. I kind of have to get some tofu for my mother."

Rise grabbed her by the hand. "Yukiko-senpai, my family _owns _the tofu shop! We can talk there!"

They both quickly changed their shoes and started down the hill, Yukiko charging forward with Rise almost jogging at her heels.

"Rise-chan, can't you just tell me what it is while we walk?" she huffed.

The younger girl looked around at all the other students. "Sorry, Senpai, but it's not really something that you just talk about out in the open."

Yukiko scanned up ahead, spotting Souji a few yards ahead of them. _Why am I trying so hard to reach him? It's just notes that I wanted. I can get them tomorrow._

She slowed her pace so Rise could walk more easily next to her. They trekked all the way to the tofu shop, where Rise's grandmother was handing a customer her order.

"Thank you for shopping at Marukyu Tofu," she said in her creaky old voice. When she spotted Rise, she smiled. "Rise, welcome home!"

"I'm home, Grandma," Rise announced. "Yukiko-senpai would like to order some tofu."

"Which one?"

They both looked at Yukiko, who had to stop and pull out her phone to find out what to ask for. When she gave her order, the old woman started to gather up the tofu while Rise pulled her off to the side.

"Yukiko-senpai," Rise whispered urgently, "I know all about you."

She felt the hairs on the back of her neck leap as her heart began to race. "W-what?"

"You don't have to hide it, Senpai. I know who you like."

Yukiko's knees almost gave way. "Y-y-you know that I like…?"

Rise shook her head. "It's okay! There's no shame in liking a younger man!"

She blinked. "What?"

"I know that you like Naoto, and I think it's great!" Rise whispered excitedly, bouncing on her toes. "I think you two look pretty good together, even if you are a little taller, but he'll grow."

"Rise-chan, how did you—"

"I talked about it with Souji-senpai," she said simply, oblivious to Yukiko's fingers twitching to wrap around her neck. "I told him about a dream that I had and saw Naoto blush when you waved to him in the cafeteria during lunch today!"

The older girl's jaw dropped. "Why was he blushing?"

"Duh! Because he probably likes you, too!"

"But why?"

Rise sighed and put her hands on her hips. "Yukiko-senpai, at least half of the boys at school are in love with you. But, I know for sure that you and Naoto are meant for each other."

Yukiko buried her face in her hands. "This can't be happening…"

"But it is! Senpai, I had a dream a few days ago that you and Naoto were holding each other and kissing!"

While she flashed a huge smile, Yukiko's mind started to fuzz over. "I, I did… huh…?"

"Yeah, and Souji-senpai was there, too!" Rise dropped her voice. "Oh, but when I was talking it over with him, he said to be careful not to let any weird rumors spread about you getting drunk and kissing everybody. I don't get where he got that idea that you were drunk in my dream, though."

"He was there, too?" She swallowed hard, her voice trembling as she asked, "When did you have this dream, exactly?"

"I think it was during the class trip, after Club Escapade."

Thoughts flooded Yukiko's mind as she connected what she had just learned with what she already knew. _Drunk? I was drunk? Is that why I can't remember that night? What happened that…_

She gasped at the realization, and Rise patted her shoulder.

"Don't worry, Senpai. Only me and Souji-senpai know about it," she told her reassuringly. Her grandmother came over and handed Yukiko a bag full of styrofoam containers.

"I'll just charge it to your family's bill," she said kindly. "You'd better hurry on home, Yukiko-chan."

"See you tomorrow, Yukiko-senpai!" Rise called after her as she trudged down to the bus stop.

Her feet were suddenly heavy and she dragged her shoes across the street. Her head felt light and numb, like she was about to float away. Her body was in limbo, wanting to float away but feeling like the world was crushing her down into the ground. She stood by the bus stop with several others, deep in thought at what she had just learned.

When she arrived at her family's inn, she quickly dropped off the tofu in the kitchen and dashed down the hall to Mitsuru's room. She knocked on the door, breathing hard, and when Mitsuru opened she stormed in.

"What's the matter?" Mitsuru asked earnestly.

"Onee-sama…" She bit her trembling lip and tears formed in her eyes. "I cheated on my boyfriend!"

…

After school, Souji headed to the place he liked to go to vent out his anger: The Daycare Center. He stood by the sandbox wearing the daycare's apron over his uniform and stared down at the children running around him.

_Ah, nothing eases the pain of being cheated on than pretending you're setting children's heads on fire, _he thought dreamily to himself as he imagined little bonfires atop their heads as they ran around screaming gleefully.

The daycare lady came up to him holding a baby. "Seta, come here," she called to him. "This is baby Kenichi-kun. Isn't he adorable?"

_Yeah, if you're into ugly babies, _he thought as she handed the baby over to him.

"He was adopted by a young couple who found him at their doorstep," she told him sadly. "No one knows what happened to his birth parents."

Suddenly the baby wasn't so ugly to Souji anymore. _Fine. I won't set your head on fire today,_ he thought to the baby. He giggled as he reached his tiny, plump, pink hands towards Souji.

"Aw, he likes you!" she crooned as she headed inside.

Souji looked around at all the other kids as they ran around playing some super hero game where they yelled their attacks and made sound effects with their mouths, usually ending with "I shot you!"

_Aren't children adorable when they're pretend-killing each other? _ Souji walked over to the gazebo and sat down at one of the tables. Kenichi wiggled in his arms and started to bawl loudly.

"No, no, no, don't do that," Souji sighed, bouncing the baby on his knee. When it didn't work, he tried to burp him, but nothing came out. "Dammit, this is why you were left on some stranger's doorstep to begin with."

Two little girls approached him, eyeing the baby. "What's wrong with it?" the little girl in the pink jumper asked.

"Wish I could tell you," he muttered, holding Kenichi out far in front of him. "And, it's a boy."

"Maybe his diaper's full," the other girl in the orange shorts suggested.

Souji held the baby out to them. "Here. Smell."

They sniffed and their faces contorted into disgusted looks. "Ew! He poopied!" one of the screamed, and the two girls ran off, echoing "He poopied!" in their high voices.

"Hmph, I preferred it when they were screaming," Souji grumbled as the daycare lady came out. He brought the baby over to her.

"Oh? What's the matter, Seta?" she asked.

"He poopied," he grunted, holding Kenichi out to her like a bomb.

"Oh my, okay."

She took him inside, and Souji was free to mentally set ablaze the children's heads once again.

…

Back at the inn, Yukiko was in her room with Mitsuru as the older woman poured her some hot tea. Her eyes were red, cracked and puffy, and she blew her runny nose into a tissue before adding it onto the little mountain of used tissues on the table.

"So you think that you did get drunk that night?" Mitsuru asked, calmly sipping her tea.

Yukiko could only nod and blew her nose again.

"Then you have to tell him that. It wasn't your fault that someone slipped you alcohol, and you didn't mean to kiss another boy."

"I thought it was strange that he wasn't replying to my messages," she sobbed. "He probably hates me!"

"You don't know that," Mitsuru reassured her, her eyes filled with determination and compassion. "Give him a call. Now."

She sniffed. "But I—"

"Now," she said more gently, and Yukiko obeyed.

After two rings, someone picked up. "Hello? Souji-kun?"

"Big Sis Yukiko?"

"Nanako-chan? Is Souji-kun there?"

"No, he forgot his phone today and he's not back yet. Big Sis, are you okay? You sound like you have a cold!"

Yukiko laughed dryly. "I'm all right, Nanako-chan, thank you."

"Do you want me to tell him that you called?"

"Could you, please?"

"Yeah! Hope you feel better!"

"Bye," Yukiko said as she hung up. To Mitsuru, she said, "He forgot his phone today, so that's why he wasn't answering."

Mitsuru cocked an eyebrow. "Then who was that Nanako girl who answered?"

"His little cousin," she told her with a smile. "She's a sweet little girl, and she calls me 'Big Sis'."

The older woman smiled. "How cute."

"You didn't think she was some other girl that Souji-kun was having on the side, did you?" she asked suspiciously.

"If that was the case, then I would've had to execute him."

There was a cold fury in Mitsuru's eyes that made Yukiko shiver. "You wouldn't, would you?"

Mitsuru sipped her tea. "Wouldn't I?"

Yukiko looked at her own untouched cup of tea and sipped it, feeling a little better at the possibility of Souji not being upset. Her stomach still churned at what she had done, but she knew that she had to hurry and clear the air between them.

"Yukiko," Mitsuru started, setting down her cup. "Do you see this relationship going further?"

"If we get through my mistake, I think so," she sighed. "Why do you ask?"

"It's just that, your family is a lot like mine when it comes to marriage. They were very adamant about choosing someone for me."

Yukiko glanced up at her. "I thought you weren't married yet."

"I'm not," she replied. "It was difficult, but I managed to become the head of my family's group without needing to be married. They're still upset with me, actually."

The younger girl sipped more tea. "My parents told me that if I didn't find someone that I liked, then they would pick for me. They're giving me a chance, but I think my father's more eager to pick someone himself."

"Do they know about Seta?"

She shook her head. "The only ones who know are you, Kasai-san, and Nanako-chan."

Mitsuru placed her hands around her cup and traced the edge with her thumbs. "You really weren't kidding about keeping it quiet. I'm amazed you trust such a young girl, though."

"Oh no, Nanako-chan is very mature for someone her age," Yukiko said quickly. "She's the most adorable child, and we all see her like our own little sister."

Mitsuru smiled. "Maybe one day, she will be your little sister-in-law."

"She's Souji-kun's little cousin, remember?"

Mitsuru nodded and dismissed her mistake. "Is there a possibility that your parents might choose Seta as a suitor for you?"

"I don't think they even know him as anything besides being my friend and moving here a few months ago," she explained. "But he does have a bit of a reputation for being a nice guy, and a good listener."

She watched as Mitsuru furrowed her eyebrows at her. "Yukiko, you must not let him get away. A man who actually listens to you is indeed, a good man, and very rare."

Yukiko nodded slowly, and Mitsuru settled back down with her tea. "Is a man who listens really a good man?"

"I knew one once. He always listened to my drivel without complaining."

"So why did you let him go?"

Mitsuru looked away, her eyes darkening beneath her bangs. "As I mentioned before, he had someone else. He may not have been mine to begin with. I lost my chance, so I advise you to not forfeit yours, though it's difficult now since he's probably still livid about all this."

"Souji-kun doesn't have a temper," Yukiko mumbled thoughtfully to herself. "Or does he? I don't think I've ever seen him get too angry, but I have seen him get irritated before."

"That night that I met him, he was yelling at a sushi offering at the shrine," Mitsuru told her as she flipped her hair over her shoulder. "That poor young man must have been slipped some alcohol, as well."

Yukiko pulled out her cell phone and flipped through some pictures of Souji. He wasn't smiling in a lot of them, but he didn't seem angry or upset. "Sometimes, Souji-kun says things that are a little strange, but he can be pretty funny at times if you really pay attention," she said idly, studying his face in a picture they took by the two dolls inside Gekkoukan High School.

Mitsuru got up and peered down at the picture over Yukiko's shoulder. "Oh, those. They have a sign with the Kirijo family's motto."

Yukiko squinted, trying to read the sign. " 'Two in harmony surpasses one in perfection'."

"Mm-hm," Mitsuru nodded. "Now, who was it that you kissed?"

Yukiko's face burned red as she pointed Naoto out.

"Him? I can see now why Seta was so upset. He's not so bad-looking at all."

"I know!" she cried. "But he's shorter, extremely serious, and… and…"

"And not Seta?"

She nodded. "I hope he returns home soon."

…

That evening, Souji returned home to find Nanako seated at her usual spot by the table. She greeted him, and he saw his cell phone in front of her and the kitten in her lap.

"So that's where I left it," he said, opening it and finding a number of messages in it.

"Big Sis Yukiko called earlier," Nanako told him, picking the kitten up and carrying it over to Souji. "She asked for you, and she sounded like she had a cold."

He clicked through the messages, reading one from Yosuke making a crack about him being late that morning and another one making fun of Kanji liking a little girl's show about ponies. A text from Rise asked him to meet her during lunch, and one from Yukiko asked to see his notes. The last one was her asking to call when he got the message.

"She didn't have a cold when we were in class," Souji said bitterly as he stuffed the phone in his pocket. "Maybe it was allergies."

The kitten squirmed out of Nanako's hands and rubbed its orange body all over Souji's legs. Orange fur clung visibly to his black uniform pants. "What is it with today's youth pooping and rubbing fur on me?" he sighed as he went upstairs to dump his bag on his couch. When he came back down, he found Nanako placing a second bowl of instant noodles on the short table.

"Dinner will be ready in a few minutes," she said happily. "But, the kitten needs to eat, too."

Souji ran back upstairs and grabbed the can of cat food he had bought on the way home. Nanako squealed with delight as it licked at the gravy on the meaty surface.

"This thing's eating better than us tonight," Souji mumbled as he petted the ball of fluff.

"Should we name it?" Nanako asked.

"What do you want to name it?"

She gave an exaggerated shrug, and the two sat down to eat their pitiful noodles. Nanako offered to let him watch the colorful pony show again, but he refused, having had his fill of ponies the previous night.

When the table was cleared and the kitten's leftover food was put in the refrigerator, they sat down to watch the evening's news. Nanako let the kitten sleep on her lap as the news report began.

Souji felt his arms tense up when he saw Naoto's face light up the screen. He balled his hands into fists and ground his wrists into his knees. His jaw clenched, and every muscle in his body became rigid.

"Tonight's report will focus on this Detective Prince, Naoto Shirogane, whose handsome looks are sweeping the nation," the announcer said. "Thanks for being on the show."

"No, no," Naoto said coolly. "The pleasure is all mine."

Nanako looked from Naoto to Souji. "Oh, his uniform's the same as yours," she realized aloud. She didn't notice him fuming across the table.

On the report, Naoto talked about his belief that the police had caught the wrong murder suspect and was still looking at the evidence for another possible killer. The announcer soon changed the topic, talking more about Naoto's accomplishments and only infuriating Souji further.

_He's also a girlfriend-stealing midget who's so manwhore-ish that he could compete with Teddie!_ Souji thought angrily as he gripped his knees tightly.

"There's a detective at your school?" Nanako asked excitedly. "When I'm older, I'm gonna go to your school too!"

_And now he's after my little cousin! He's seducing the younger female population! _Souji scowled at Naoto's face as the kitten tumbled out of Nanako's lap and went over to him. It peered up at him in wonder and let out a squeaky little meow to get his attention.

"What is it, Kitten?" he growled, and the kitten put its paws on his hand then climbed into his lap.

"I think it's sleepy," Nanako guessed with a yawn.

Souji picked up the kitten and switched off the TV. "Time for bed, Nanako-chan."

"Okay."

She sleepily brushed her teeth while Souji balance the kitten on his shoulder so he could do the same. He wished her good night and went up to his room and set the kitten down on the couch. He changed his clothes, turned out the light and slid into his futon. As he settled in, the kitten came up to his face and mewed again.

"I already fed you," he grumbled, turning over, but the kitten just went over to his face and mewed again. "Fine, what do you want?"

It let out another squeaky little mew and licked his cheek with a tiny rough tongue. Souji picked up the little creature and set it on his chest.

"You're too damn cute, you know that?" he told it as he stroked its fur. "Did Nanako-chan give you a bath? You smell like kiddie shampoo, and your fur's softer."

It curled up on his chest and started purring, giving a slight, soothing massage. Souji lay awake for awhile longer, putting all his focus on the kitten and forgetting all about the messages on his cell phone and the Detective Prince.

…

The next morning, Souji found himself on the way to school, minding his own business when his friends started to talk about Naoto's appearance on the news last night. They discussed his involvement in catching the culprit, and once again, Yukiko jumped in to Naoto's defense by giving her reason as to why he was able to take credit for catching the murderer that they had risked their lives to catch themselves.

_Et tu, Girlfriend? _he thought grimly. Just when he thought it couldn't get any worse, Naoto himself showed up wearing a teal blue dress shirt and a yellow tie over black pants.

"I've been waiting for you all," he said in his low, serious voice. "There's something I needed to discuss with you regarding the case."

_How the hell can you hit puberty and have it affect your voice and not your height? _Souji wondered as he squinted bitterly at Naoto.

He started talking about the three murder victims and how they were merely locals who happened to make an appearance on the news. He believed that there was nothing special about them in particular.

"Haven't you all come to the same conclusion?" he asked, his dark eyes locking onto Souji's.

"Yeah, we did," he answered through a clenched jaw.

Naoto nodded. "Then allow me to state my point."

He started to pinpoint Yukiko, Kanji and Rise as either fortunate kidnap victims or the murderers themselves, and Souji had to use every ounce of strength to not wrap his fingers around Naoto's delicate little neck. Instead, he mentally opened and closed his hand like a talking sock puppet to mimic Naoto's continuous speech. He softened a little when Naoto revealed his thought that they might actually be the only ones who could find the true murderer. He also pointed out the discrepancy between Morooka's murder and the other victims, but still felt that there needed to be more evidence.

"…You said something interesting to me not long ago," he added, and walked around the group. Without turning back around, he told them, "This is not a game for me, either," and walked away.

Souji heard Yukiko whisper Naoto's name as the youth walked away, and he also turned his back on her.

…

Souji hardly paid attention to Yukiko that entire day, and even though his phone kept vibrating with messages, he just ignored them all. Yosuke collected him once school was out for the day, and Kanji joined them to hang out at Junes. They went straight to the food court where Teddie was dressed in his bear suit grilling meat.

"So, did you watch it?" Kanji asked Yosuke.

"I don't watch shows for little girls, Kanji!" Yosuke yelled defensively.

With a crestfallen face, Kanji turned to Souji. "How 'bout you, Senpai? Did you watch it?"

Souji took a long sip from his soda. When he set his drink down, he calmly told him, "Fluttershy is best pony."

Kanji's face lit up so brightly that the boys had to put their hands up just to protect their eyes. "See, Yosuke-senpai? Even a guy like Souji-senpai can appreciate a good show!"

"Dude, what is _wrong_ with you?" Yosuke screeched at Souji, trying to keep what little manly façade he could maintain for the group. "They're ponies. _Ponies._ They're for little girls, like Nanako-chan and Kanji!"

"You sayin' I'm a pretty little girl?" Kanji growled in his deep, menacing voice, and Yosuke let out a tiny squeak as he shrank into his chair.

"Oh, oh! Teddie's favorite is Pinkie Pie!" Teddie piped up as he brought over a tray with their orders. "She's so fun, and she knows how to paaaar-tay!"

"Not you too," Yosuke whined.

"Don't hack it till you've seen it," Kanji told him with a grin. To Teddie, he said, "I thought you would've liked Rarity. Rarity is best pony."

"Ooh, she's pretty," Teddie said thoughtfully, "But someone's gotta teach her how to party!"

_Are we seriously discussing ponies out here on top of a department store?_ Souji wondered as he ripped off a piece of barbecue with his teeth. _We truly are men, eating meat and discussing little girls' shows._

"How 'bout you, Senpai?" Kanji asked. "Why's Fluttershy your favorite?"

Souji chewed on the half-eaten stick. "Because Fluttershy is best pony."

"What? No way, Rarity's best pony."

"Fluttershy."

"The fabulous Rarity."

"Fluttershy."

"Rarity!"

"You guys, can't we just love all ponies equally?" Teddie chimed in, and the two just glared at him until he hid behind the grill.

"Shut up, you guys!" Yosuke yelled. "They're just stupid ponies!"

They turned their deathly glares at Yosuke, whose angry look melted into a fearful one again. They then turned their glares onto each other, and Kanji let out a little whimper as Souji stared him down. The look of sheer terror on the big teenager's face made Souji feel guilty, so he went down into the toy department of Junes, bought a little toy of the white and purple pony that he loved, and gave it to Kanji. He promptly broke into a smile and thanked his senior.

"Rarity may be best pony, but my favorite is still Fluttershy," Souji told him, and Kanji agreed to it.

"And this is why we are forever alone," Yosuke sighed. "Out of all of us, you'd think that at least this guy would've had a girlfriend by now."

They all looked at Souji, who sat with his leg draped across the other as he sipped his soda. "I haven't found the right girl," he lied pathetically as he was painfully reminded of Yukiko.

"What, and Risette isn't good enough? What about Ai Ebihara, or Yukiko-san?" Yosuke listed on his fingers.

"Senpai, you forgot Chie-senpai," Kanji added as he unwrapped the toy and started to brush her mane.

"Put that away!" Yosuke screamed at him as he popped out of his seat and slammed his flat palms onto the table, and Kanji hastily stashed the pony into his bag. "See, _this _is exactly why we don't have any girlfriends! We're sitting here playing with stupid girls' toys!"

"You don't play with ponies, so where's your girlfriend?" Souji asked simply, and the truth of his words sent Yosuke crashing back into his chair.

"Dammit, what the hell is it even like having a girlfriend?" Yosuke murmured as he brought his hands to his face.

"It's like finding your other half, the person that you can just be yourself with, who will continue to love you no matter what you do. You're floating away on the clouds when you're with her, and the rest of the world fades away beneath you, and nothing and no one else matters. She becomes your everything: your food, your drink, your air, your very flesh and blood. You don't know why she means so much to you, but all you know is that you want to hold her close and never let her go, and you want to make sure that she'll always be happy, even if it means letting her go."

Kanji finished his speech, standing with one foot on his chair and the other on the table with one large hand out in front of him and the other over his heart.

"Kanji, letting her go means _not _having a girlfriend," Yosuke grumbled miserably.

The big teenager looked down and saw that his friends and all the other occupants of the food court were staring at him with wide eyes and gaping mouths, and he leaped off the table and sat back down, blushing as he bashfully sipped his soda.

…

After hanging out with his friends, Souji decided that he needed some time to himself. He grabbed his fishing gear and went to the riverbed after dark, squinting to see if there were any fish he could try to catch. He cast his line and waited, sitting cross-legged at the edge of the rock.

As he stared at the river, he listened to the sound of water flowing away from him. He could hear trees rustling in the wind as a warm, late-summer breeze drifted by. Dogs barked to one another off in the distant neighborhoods and after a time, stopped.

The hang out with the guys had been fun and allowed him to take his mind off of Yukiko for a short time, until Yosuke had to point out how single and pathetic they were. But now he was here, alone, and deep in thought about what Kanji had said earlier in his long-winded speech about love.

"You just want to make her happy, even if it means letting her go," he whispered to himself, and the thought of letting Yukiko go made his heart ache.

He felt something tug on his line, and he sat frozen with a tight grip on the fishing pole. When he heard the reel start to spin, he stood up and fought back, pulling the pole up and reeling it in, up and reeling back, up and again until the fish was dangling in front of him with a spasmodic twitch.

"Red Goldfish," he said with a sigh. "My kitty's eating well tonight."

As he placed the fish into a basket, a motorcycle rumbled down the floodplain towards him. He straightened up and watched as it slowed to a stop and parked at the top of the steps by the riverbed. The rider, wearing a black leather jacket and dark pants tucked into leather stiletto boots, got off and started towards him.

"Stranger danger!" Souji yelled, pointing a threatening finger at the biker. "Stranger danger!"

"Stop! Seta, it's me!"

The rider pulled off her helmet and revealed the young woman with dark red hair he had encountered during the class trip.

"You!" he cried. "You're that cougar woman!"

She put on a hurt look. "I'm only twenty years old, Seta, and my name is not _cougar woman._"

"You're still older than me by three years," he pointed out, and she scowled in annoyance.

"Will you stop that?" she ordered in a commanding voice. "Honestly, what does Yukiko see in a boy as strange as you?"

He perked up at his girlfriend's name. "How do you know Yukiko-san?"

Mitsuru stuck her helmet on one of the handlebars of her motorcycle and walked down to him. "Yukiko is a dear friend of mine," she informed him in a threatening tone. "And you haven't been a very good boyfriend to her."

"How do you even know about that?" he mouthed in disbelief as he looked away from a moment. He looked back to her, only to meet with her gloved palm slapping him across the face. Souji fell onto his backside, startled by the hidden strength of this young woman.

"Why have you been ignoring her?" she demanded, stepping towards him with her high-heeled stiletto boot stomping on the rock between his knees. "Have you any idea how much pain you've caused her?"

"Caused _her_?" he yelled. "What about me? She kissed Shirogane right in front of me and has the gall to just act like nothing happened! How do you explain that, huh?"

"Because she was slipped some alcohol!" Mitsuru yelled back at him. "She can't remember anything that happened that night because she was intoxicated! Do you really think she would sink so low as to prostitute herself out to other men?"

Souji was stunned into silence as he processed her words. He cast his eyes to the ground, her words echoing in his mind until he finally muttered, "No, she wouldn't."

Mitsuru offered him the same hand she had just slapped him with. "I've heard that you are a sensible young man with a strange habit of saying funny little things every now and then," she said in a calmer voice as she helped him to his feet. "But I know that you aren't completely foolish. Now tell me, why have you been ignoring her?"

"I just… I…" He pulled out his cell phone while searching for something to say and found five more text messages, all from Yukiko. He exited the text message screen and flipped it shut.

"Is it so hard to just talk to her?" she asked more sympathetically. "Don't you care about her enough to let her know what's wrong, or at least ask her about her actions?"

He clenched his jaw, then relaxed. "Do you know how hard it is to want to believe that the person you care for most didn't just cheat on you?" he asked her with his voice catching on the lump in his throat. "When you see it before your eyes, just watching as she slips away from you and into another guy's arms-it hurts. I didn't want to believe it, and I didn't want to think about it. And it hurts more when your friends keep telling you that your girlfriend might like that other guy, too! Do you know how hard it is to lose someone you love so much that you just don't know what to do? Well, do you?"

He tensed his entire upper body, making tight fists down at his sides. To his surprise, Mitsuru nodded slowly.

"I know that feeling all too well," she said wretchedly. "If my family knew about my first love, they would have told me that I had fallen in love with the wrong man. But they never knew and I had to watch him go with my best friend."

Souji felt his very core frost over. He shivered, not understanding why, but he felt his chest tighten painfully at her story. "How come he ended up with your best friend? Didn't you tell him how you felt?"

She held on to her elbow, her hard expression softening into a pained one. "I did. I screamed it out in the middle of the Port Island Station for all to hear. Unintentionally, to be honest."

He raised his eyebrows. "Okay then. Are you saying that I should drag Girlfriend to the train station and scream out to everyone what she did, and then tell her that I completely forgive her?"

"That's not quite what I meant." She dropped her voice. "When I screamed out my feelings, it was because my fiancé was being condescending towards him."

"You had a fiancé, _and _a boyfriend? And you're berating _me_ for not talking to my girlfriend about _our _problem?"

She raised her hand again, and Souji flinched. "It was an arranged marriage, and the man they set me up with was..."

"A complete douche canoe?"

Mitsuru looked at him with her mouth half open. "Where in the world do you keep finding these phrases of yours?"

Souji just shrugged, and she lowered her hand without striking him. "In essence, yes, he was exactly that. I also screamed some unpleasantries at him as well, and he ran away crying for his grandfather."

Before Souji could ask, she automatically added, "He had to be over thirty years old, so you can imagine just how pathetic it was."

He stuck his hands into his pockets. "Damn, what the hell did you say to the guy? Wait, he was thirty? But you just said that you're only twenty!"

"It's fairly common in the business world," Mitsuru said with a sad sigh. "I was only eighteen when I was betrothed to him. Yukiko isn't too far off from that same fate, either."

He felt like someone had dropped a brick into his stomach. "Wait, what's that supposed to mean?"

"Yukiko's family and mine both believe in arranged marriages," she explained, turning her back to him as she stood at the edge of the rock. "One day, she may have to marry someone based on their business stability, not the person that he is. She could end up with someone similar to who I was matched with, or worse."

"I didn't know about that," he said softly. "But, why are you telling me this?"

"A few days ago, prior to her knowing what she had done on the class trip, she told me a lot about you." Mitsuru tucked some loose strands of hair behind her ear. "She talked about how you helped many of your classmates, how you feigned having a spending problem so that your friends would not know about your relationship when she asked you to not tell anyone, and how you even agreed to keep your relationship quiet so that she wouldn't get bullied by the girls in school. I even asked her mother about her friends, and she had heard many good things about you, too. She said that you're a bright student, very diligent, and patient. And from what I can see, aside from your strange utterances every now and then, you seem to be a decent young man who is genuinely in love with her."

She turned back to him, and he could see a tiny glimmer of a smile in her eyes. "When I saw her talking about you, I felt like she truly does love you. When I saw how upset you were about this mess, I could tell that you were hurting just as much as she was when she learned about her actions. A lot of guys would have just gotten revenge. Looking at you, I know you aren't one of those guys.

"Now, I told you about her possible arranged marriage because I don't want Yukiko to end up marrying someone who doesn't care about her as much as you do. I'm not trying to guilt-trip you into marrying her, but warning you to cherish what you have now. My ex-fiancé saw me little more than a lapdog, ordering me around and making me his servant. Just the thought that she might marry someone like that frightens me."

Mitsuru tugged on her gloves. "I don't want her to go through the same pains that I went through. I don't want to see her have to sacrifice her happiness for someone else who won't return the favor. I want her to be happy, to be with the man who loves and respects her as much as she does him. It was painful enough when I was going through it, but to see her go through the same thing hurts worse."

He didn't know what to say. He felt lower than the scum of the earth and wanted to get rid of the feeling, but he couldn't think of anything to say or do to do so. Instead, he just told her, "When you put it that way, it sounds like you love her more than I do."

Souji started to put his fishing gear away, feeling Mitsuru watching him. "I was so afraid that she was going to reject me and go with Shirogane. My friends even started saying that we should help them along in starting their relationship when they saw how nice that Yukiko was being to him. I started to believe them for a moment. I thought that, since a lot of people had the idea that they like each other, she might want to be in a relationship that she didn't have to hide. I was scared that she was tired of hiding at my request."

"But she told me that she understood why you asked to keep it hidden," Mitsuru said warmly. "Seta, you have to tell her how you feel. Not just how you felt when you witnessed her kiss that boy, but how you feel about her. She needs to know."

He rubbed his sweaty palms on his knees. "It's gonna be a bit difficult…"

"Why? You've just divulged your feelings to me, and you hardly know me," Mitsuru said, very much surprised at this sudden turnaround.

"You're a stranger. It's easier to tell a complete stranger all your dirty little secrets because chances are, you'll never see them again, and they don't even know who you are," he explained as he finished packing up his gear. "But now that I know you're friends with my girlfriend, it kind of defeats the purpose."

Mitsuru motioned for him to follow her up the steps to her motorcycle. "I don't plan on telling her anything. She doesn't even know that I'm out here talking to you. I'm leaving you the responsibility of telling her how you feel. It's up to the both of you if you want to make this relationship work. I will, however, tell you what my father used to tell me: Two in harmony surpasses one in perfection."

She handed him the same spare helmet he had used only days before. "I'll take you home. Where do you live?"

Souji just stood there by the side of the road. "Are you sure you're not a cougar? I mean, you came all the way out here to talk to me without even telling anyone where you're going, and you're offering me a ride home. How do I know you're not taking me back to your lair to do stuff to my supple virgin body?"

"Why do you keep thinking that I'm a cougar?" she asked exasperatedly. "And please tell me that your attention span isn't so short that you've already forgotten what we've talked about."

"Nope, still fresh in my mind. And just… those boots…"

He pointed to her stiletto heels. "How in the name of Zeus do you ride a motorcycle in those? Hell, how do you walk in those?"

"How long were you waiting to ask me that?"

"Since you nearly skewered my misters with them."

She turned to her motorcycle, muttering, "If I still had Artemisia with me, I would have executed you!"

Souji raised his eyebrows. "Huh? Who's Artemisia?"

She threw the helmet to him. "Just get on the bike."

…

Even though Souji now knew that Yukiko had technically not cheated on him, he still faced the daunting task of actually talking to her. On his way to school on that rainy morning, he rehearsed in his head what he was going to say to her, though he kept interrupting himself with bursts of nervousness every now and then.

_Come on, if you can tell a cougar about your feelings for Girlfriend, then you can definitely tell Girlfriend about your feelings, too!_ he reassured himself as the rain pattered heavily on his umbrella.

He stepped into the front of the school and saw Yukiko changing her shoes. Panic struck him like lightning, and he darted behind another wall of shoe lockers to hide from her.

_No! Don't be a cowardly dumbass and go talk to her! _he yelled at himself in his mind. _Just go and talk to her already! _

He peeked around the corner of the lockers and ducked back behind it as Yukiko walked past him to the stairs. He watched as she greeted another student on the way up and engaged in conversation with her.

_Dammit, what am I? A ten-year-old girl with a crush? Why the hell is it so hard to say anything to her? She's just my girlfriend! When we're married, we'll be so shameless that I'll be free to piss in front of her!_

He clawed at his face. _Why am I already thinking of marrying her? _

Souji faced the lockers and started knocking his head against it in a slow, rhythmic beat. When he finished, he changed his shoes and noticed a first-year male student looking up at him in fear and confusion. Souji put his hand on the boy's shoulder.

"Do not be afraid to piss in front of your wife," he snarled, and left to get to class. The boy just stood where he was, frozen in terror at what he had just witnessed.

…

Throughout the school day, Souji spent most of the time trying to muster up as much courage as possible, but he found that he just wasn't heroic enough to pull it off. He spent the entire time rehearsing in his mind what to say, and when he finally got the chance to say something he just sat there staring at her until she happened to glance over at him, to which he would look away immediately.

Lunchtime came, and Yukiko and Chie both agreed to head down to the cafeteria again. Chie looked to both Souji and Yosuke and asked, "You two wanna co—"

"YES!" Souji barked a little too emphatically, startling his friends and the rest of the classroom occupants. He mechanically got to his feet and stiffly followed them down to the cafeteria.

The lunchroom was filled with students talking and laughing loudly, and seats were becoming scarce. Chie volunteered to go with Souji and secure some spots while Yukiko and Yosuke got the food. Souji looked back at Yukiko before following Chie to a half-filled table.

"You're not going to believe this," Chie whispered excitedly to him across the table. "Yesterday, Yukiko waved at Naoto-kun and he totally looked embarrassed!"

Souji couldn't help but think that Chie was starting to sound a lot like Rise. "So…?"

"Weren't you listening? Naoto-kun probably also likes Yukiko!"

The words didn't hurt him much anymore, since he knew that it was all a lie. He failed to hold back a smile and Chie took it to mean something different.

"I know, right? I mean, except for being too short, I think Naoto-kun and Yukiko look pretty good together!"

She frantically kicked her legs giddily under the table, accidentally smacking Souji in the shin. He bit his tongue from the pain and rubbed his injured shin furiously to make the throbbing stop.

Chie's eyes opened wide in wonder. "Wow, I thought I barely tapped you. Sorry!"

He grunted "it's fine," but continued to rub his shin under the table. He made sure to pull his long legs under his seat so that she couldn't kick him anymore.

"But don't you think they'd look good together? I mean, sure, she looks better with you, but they're both from distinguished families, so it kinda makes more sense," she thought aloud, her face lighting up with glee.

"Yes, yes, and when they get married, they can have those murder mystery dinner parties at the Amagi inn for fun," he added with an irritated grumble.

"Who's having a murder mystery dinner party at my family's inn?"

Yukiko and Yosuke sat down and placed the instant noodle bowls in front of their friends. Yukiko took her seat next to Chie, and Yosuke sat across from her next to Souji.

"Hey, you guys know that rumor that was going around about Yukiko liking Naoto-kun?" Chie whispered to the group.

Yukiko's face turned sullen. "I thought we agreed to never bring that up again."

Yosuke nervously tugged on his shirt collar. "Yeah, I mean, come on, Yukiko-san's clearly confirmed that it's not true."

"No, I know, but what if the rumor was backwards?" Chie's grin grew wider. "What if it was Naoto-kun that actually likes Yukiko?"

"What makes you think that he'd be interested in Yukiko-san?" Yosuke asked. "He's always so bent on solving cases, so there's no way he'd be interested."

"But you can't really control when you like someone," Chie reasoned. "Look at most of the guys in school—They were all drooling over Rise-chan when she started coming here."

Yukiko just sat with her hands around the little plastic bowl in front of her, still frowning. "Does he really like me?"

Chie shook her shoulder. "Yeah! Why else can't he look directly at you?"

Both Yukiko's face and Souji's burned red at their mutually unknown knowledge, though Souji went unnoticed.

"Ah, so the little guy does like you," Yosuke smirked. "And how come you turned red, Yukiko-san? Do you have hidden feelings for him, too?"

"N-no, that's not it," she said defensively. "But why would he like me?"

"Probably because you keep inviting him to hang with us," Yosuke suggested as he peeled open his bowl. "He might've taken it that you liked him first."

Souji opened his bowl and started slurping up his chicken-flavored noodles while Chie tore into her beef-flavored bowl. Yukiko sat there, leaving her bowl untouched. She looked over at Souji, who kept his eyes fixated down at his bowl.

"What do you think, Souji-kun?" she asked, and he could hear a bit of fear in her voice.

He finished his mouthful of noodles and grunted, "He likes you."

With nothing more to say, he quickly gobbled up his bowl, sucked down the soup, and got up and left the cafeteria. He decided that there was no way he would be able to talk to her while his friends were around.

…

After school, Souji headed for the library and got on one of the ancient computers they had there to look up tips for how to tell someone that you like them.

"Number forty-seven: Remember their birthday," he read. "Horse apples, I don't even know when her birthday is!"

"What are you doing?" someone asked him.

"Checking to see if Teddie's been registered as a sex offender yet," he answered, and when he heard a familiar snort of a stifled laugh, he turned around and saw Yukiko laughing through her hand.

"Yukiko-san," he muttered and scrambled to exit out of the screen. "I thought you had work today."

"I have a few errands to run first," she said. "Would you like to help me?"

Realizing that this was the chance he was looking for, he grabbed his bag and followed her to the shoe lockers, where they split momentarily before meeting with their outdoor shoes and umbrellas. The two of them said nothing as they walked the entire way to the Shopping District to Yamenaido Bookstore.

Yukiko went off to a corner of the store while Souji just stood there dumbly, watching as she leafed through a book. _Is she okay with everything, or am I missing something?_ he asked himself as he pretended to thumb through a random book. When he looked down, he saw that it was a pornographic novel he had picked up. He shoved it back into the shelf that he had taken it from and went over to look at another display.

"Um, Souji-kun?"

He saw that she had returned to his side. "What is it?"

She wrung her school bag handle. "I kind of lied about having errands to run. I really just wanted to talk to you about some things."

She looked away briefly and asked, "Is it okay to talk a bit?"

"Yeah," he said. "There are some things that I wanted to talk about with you, too."

They left the store and headed up the street to Chie's favorite little meat store. They ordered some steak croquettes to share and stood under the awning since the table was soaked with rain. Neither seemed eager to look at the other.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" he asked casually, while he was actually bursting inside to say what he wanted to say.

"There's a lot of things I want to talk about," she answered feebly. "But, I just don't know where to start."

He shrugged. "Then, write down a list of everything you want to talk about, and we'll work our way down," he jokingly grumbled.

He was surprised to see that she took his advice and pulled out a notebook, scribbling down line after line of things she wanted to say. Most of them seemed to center around Naoto and Souji felt his heart burst into flames as anger started to boil in him.

"Okay, stop," he said, placing a hand over her arm. He quickly pulled away. "Why does Shirogane come up so much on your paper?"

She started shaking. "W-well, um… You see… I…"

"Don't tell me you actually do like him, do you?" he asked, forgetting everything that Mitsuru had told him the previous night.

"No! I don't!" she cried. "You know that I don't!"

Souji drummed his fingers against the bottom of his bag. "You're being awfully defensive today. Don't tell me that you fell for him when you kissed him."

Yukiko's mouth fell open in horror. "Y-you mean… that really happened?"

"You bet your buns, honey." He shifted uncomfortably. _Wait, why am I saying this? I shouldn't be accusing her like this! _

But he couldn't stop himself. His anger stirred within him, and soon he could hold it back no longer. "Why did you do it? Why did you have to go and kiss him?"

"I didn't mean to!" she yelled back at him, her eyes reflecting his own fury. "Someone gave us alcoholic drinks!"

"So what?" he roared back. "You still had enough sense to play King's Game and to tell Shirogane 'Thank you' when he caught you falling!"

"If I had enough sense for all that, then how come I can't remember it at all?" she asked without lowering her voice. "And how is this any different from when you kissed Ebihara?"

"She kissed me!"

"You didn't try to stop her!"

He opened his mouth to retaliate, but could find nothing to say. "Fine, if that's how you feel, then why don't you just go and be with Shirogane?"

Before he could realize what he had said, Yukiko nodded in agreement. "I think I will. At least he's mature enough to reason out things without letting his temper get in the way."

Souji looked up the street and felt himself run cold when he saw Naoto coming down the street in his casual dress and black umbrella. "Well, there's your chance. Go ask him out."

"What?" Yukiko's face softened as she followed Souji's gaze up the street. She burned red when she saw Naoto passing by Tatsumi Textiles, but hardened her face at the challenge. "Since you don't mind, I think I will."

Even after saying that, Yukiko stayed rooted to where she stood. She looked down at the ground with worry on her face, and Souji sighed.

"Just say something casual, like, 'Would you do me the honor of eating with me' or, 'Care to come with me to see a movie?' or whatever," he told her in an annoyed tone. "It's not so hard, since you like him, right?"

"No, it's not," she hissed and turned back to look at Naoto. She surprised Souji again when she waved Naoto over.

The small young man saw her and tipped his cap lower over his eyes before sauntering over to the store. "Good afternoon," he said to his two seniors.

"Naoto-kun!" Yukiko barked suddenly, making the young boy jump. "Would you… I mean…"

Souji locked his eyes on hers and nodded firmly, and she glared back at him before turning back to Naoto and yelling, "Naoto-kun! Come and do me!"

The two boys jumped back from her, horror-stricken by her words. Her face blazed as red as her sweater as she scrambled to fix what she had said. "I-I meant, do me the honor of eating me at the movies!"

Souji was laughing so hard he had tears in his eyes and no sound would escape his mouth. Naoto simply bowed.

"I appreciate your offer, but I must decline," he said coolly in his low tone. "I'm sorry, but I must take my leave now."

He briskly walked away down the street, leaving Souji gasping for air while Yukiko stood shamefully next to him. She pulled her hand back and slapped him so hard across the face that his head snapped to the side. He dropped his bag to touch where she had hit him.

"I asked you here to talk about us, and you had to go and ruin it!" she screeched. "I hope you suffer before you die!"

She grabbed her bag and ran, leaving Souji under the awning. He wasn't laughing anymore, and the painful sting in his cheek was nothing compared to the pain of her words stabbing him in the heart. Slowly, he picked up his bag from the ground and saw the owner of Souzai Daigaku holding his order in her hand. He told her to wrap it up to go, and as she disappeared deeper into the store he saw his vision go blinding white as a searing pain blazed in his head. Amid the white light, he saw the Priestess card flip upside down for the second time.

"Dammit, not again!" he growled, and when his vision returned, the woman had left his order on the counter.

He snatched it and his bag up and dragged his feet across the ground on his way down the hill. He had just gone past the bookstore when he remembered that home was the other way. Swearing under his breath, he started back up the hill when he noticed the Velvet Room door shining as brightly as ever by the stores. Not caring if anyone saw him, he strode over to the door and threw it open.

"Igor!" he shouted as he entered the limousine-like interior. "Margaret!"

"Welcome to the Velvet Room," Igor greeted in his soothing voice, hardly seeming to notice how angry his guest was.

"Is it possible for an Arcana to turn upside-down twice?" he demanded. "Because it happened again!"

Margaret let out a tiny bubble of a chuckle. "If it already happened, then why are you still asking if it could happen?"

"You are actually quite lucky," Igor said, his hands held under his nose. "Your relationship with the Priestess is only temporarily upside-down. You are most fortunate that it did not break."

"My master is right," Margaret added. "Perhaps the Priestess is not so upset with you that your relationship is unfixable."

Souji dumped his bag on the ground and plopped on the leather seat. "Then how bad does it have to be that it actually breaks?"

"Well, the last guest of the Velvet Room was caught fooling around with a few of the Arcana," Igor said as he shuffled his deck of cards. "It caused quite a disturbance, but he was able to restore his relationship with the Lovers."

He sat there in disbelief. "Damn, that makes me look like a good little boy compared to him!"

"Well, that's probably because you are dedicated to just the Priestess," Margaret suggested. "Although, I'm sure that they have all forgiven him by now. It has been nearly two years since then."

"We have warned you before to be more careful with your Social Links," Igor chided in his ever-soothing voice. "Keep this up, and you could break the Priestess."

Souji shook his head. "That's not going to happen. I've fixed this once, and I can do it again!"

He gathered up his things then stood up, hunching over to not bump his head on the low ceiling and placed the steak croquettes on the table in front of Igor. "Here, a present from my world," he said. "Enjoy."

He saw Margaret's eyes glint with excitement as he left the Velvet Room. When he came back to the real world, he found that he had dropped his bag and his umbrella and was soaking wet. Only the box of croquettes was gone.

…

Yukiko ran as fast as she could to get away from Souji, her tears hidden among the raindrops that fell all around her. She ran up the hill to her inn when she saw a young man with a black umbrella coming down the hill towards her. She recognized him.

"Kirishima-senpai, what are you doing here?" she asked, her face stained with tears.

"I was dropping off some new tea sets for your inn," he said, frowning when he saw how distressed she was. "What's wrong? What happened to you?"

"It's nothing," she told him, looking away. "Just a stupid boy."

He grabbed her shoulders roughly, dropping his umbrella. "What did he do? Did he hurt you?" he demanded, frightening Yukiko.

"No, he didn't hurt me like that," she broke free from his grasp and held her umbrella up to cover him while his umbrella tumbled down the hill. "It's just that… Why are boys so stupid? I thought he was smart and brave when he fought shadows and rescued me from inside the TV, and when I tried to talk to him just now, he can't even have a decent conversation with me without accusing me of something stupid and—"

"Whoa, calm down, Yukiko-chan," Kirishima said. "Listen to yourself-you're absolutely hysterical right now. Just take a deep breath and start over."

She sniffed hard, and he handed her a pack of tissues and held her umbrella for her while she turned away and blew her nose. When she was ready she told him everything, starting with the events at Port Island that started the whole issue. Her voice turned furious as she told him about her talk with Souji earlier that day. He listened patiently and nodded as he took in the information, and when she had finished, he sighed.

"Yukiko-chan, a lot of guys put up a brave front because they're expected to be strong," he explained. "But most guys are actually pretty shy inside. They're scared. When your boyfriend saw you kiss that other boy, he probably got scared that you might not like him anymore and covered it up with anger."

"But he ignored me these past few days! He didn't seem angry then!"

"Because he was probably too scared to confront you about it," Kirishima said softly. "And he was probably bottling up everything then, too."

Yukiko stood there, deep in thought as the rain continued to fall around them. "So, why does he have to put up such a strong front? Why couldn't he just be honest about everything? He was honest with me before, so why not now?"

"I can't answer that for you," he said sympathetically. "You're going to have to get it from him."

"How can I if he won't talk to me?"

"Give him time. He'll come around."

He handed her back her umbrella. "I have to go. I hope everything works out for you two."

"Thank you, Senpai," she sniffed, and walked him down to where his umbrella landed at the bottom of the hill before returning back up to the inn.

She had just changed out of her slightly soaked uniform when someone knocked on the door. When she opened it, Mitsuru walked in.

"Who was that that you were talking to earlier?" she asked as she took a seat at the short table. "Don't tell me that you're going for a third boy?"

Yukiko turned around to face her, and Mitsuru got a good look at her cracked, red eyes. "Yukiko, what happened?"

"That was just Kirishima-senpai, a family friend," she explained. "I tried to talk to Souji-kun today, but he got upset and we said a few things."

"And he still didn't… Honestly, if I must then I will exec—"

Yukiko shook her head, forcing a smile. "Kirishima-senpai gave me some insight on guys, so I think I understand Souji-kun a little more. I'm going to try to talk to him again tomorrow."

"Really?" Mitsuru folded her arms across her front. "This Kirishima person sounds like a good guy. Why don't you go with him, instead?"

"Because he's not all that interesting," answered Yukiko, her smile growing warmer. "I know it sounds crazy, but with Souji-kun, I'm never bored."

Mitsuru cocked an eyebrow. "You were upset because he was being difficult, and in a matter of minutes this Kirishima person gave you a simple piece of information that may be the key to repairing your relationship. You bounce back quickly."

Yukiko grabbed her hairbrush and ran it through her wet hair. "After talking with Kirishima-senpai, I realized just how difficult relationships are. Even just looking at my parents, I saw that my mother had to learn to be very patient with my father. But even so, Mother loves Father so much that even his temper hardly bothers her anymore. I feel like, if we can get through this, then one day Souji-kun and I can achieve the same love that they have."

Mitsuru got up and took the hairbrush from her and stood her in front of her mirror. "How wise of you. I suppose there's no reason to worry so much about you."

"Yeah…" Yukiko watched the reflection of the older woman as she ran the brush through her hair. "Hey, Onee-sama? What was your guy like? Was he anything like Souji-kun?"

She stopped and frowned. "He was a nice, intelligent guy like your Seta, but not as faithful. It turned out that he cheated on me with a number of other girls. He ended up getting back together with my best friend."

"Wow. So, are you still mad at him?"

Mitsuru continued brushing her hair. "That was almost two years ago. Things have changed, and I no longer hold any grudges against him."

Yukiko stared at her reflection and smiled. "That's good. Besides, if he and your best friend end up having kids, you'll be an aunt, or even a godmother. You can't hold a grudge against the father if that happens."

The older woman smiled sadly. "Yes, that would have been awful of me, wouldn't it?"

Once her hair was straightened out, Yukiko mentioned that she had laundry to do and started out the door.

"I'll come with you," Mitsuru offered. "Besides, I want to learn more about how to handle men."

"Well, you're going to have to work for it," Yukiko teased as she stuck her tongue out at her. "There are a lot of sheets and yukata that need to be washed."

"I may be the head of a business, but I'm not afraid to do a little dirty work," she grinned warmly.

Together, they went from room to room collecting the things that needed washing and brought them up back up to the laundry room.

…

Souji returned home, slamming the door behind him. Nanako was sitting on the couch wiggling a string in front of the kitten, allowing it to pounce on it. She looked up and saw Souji come in with a scowl on his face.

"What's the matter, Big Bro?" she asked as she hopped off the couch. "Is everything okay?"

"Everything is just Pinkie keen," he told her. "Did you eat yet?"

"Yeah, and there was still some leftover fish that you got last night, so I gave it to—Did you just say 'Pinkie'?"

Souji threw open the refrigerator door and scanned the contents, immediately regretting giving the steak croquettes to Igor and Margaret. He found a mushroom growing inside and popped it into his mouth, chewing rapidly with his mouth open before slamming the door shut.

"Is your dad home yet?" he asked as he scratched his arm.

"No, he called earlier saying that he'll be late again," Nanako told him sadly. "Hey, Big Bro? Are you sure you're okay? You don't look happy at all."

She picked up the kitten and held it up to him. "I think you could use some kitten therapy. It always makes me feel better!"

Souji took the kitten from her and scratched his stomach. "Did you think of a name for it, yet?"

"Uh-uh. Not yet."

More itchy little spots tingled all over him, and Souji gave her back the kitten. "Confound it, what's wrong with me?"

Nanako pointed at him. "You're wet. You're probably itchy from the rain."

Souji grabbed his bag and ran up the stairs to his room and tore off his clothes, scratching like a maniac. He lay on the floor on his back and pushed himself against the rug so that the friction would scratch his itchy back.

"I ITCH LIKE THUNDERRR!" he roared as he dragged himself across the rug in his underwear. "What the hell is wrong with me?"

A blinding pain in his head made him stop and writhe on the floor, and a deep, booming voice spoke to him.

_I am thou, and thou art I. And right now, you are making us look like a complete ass monkey!_

Souji opened his eyes and looked around the room, his head still throbbing. "Priestess? How come you sound like a man?"

_I am NOT a Priestess! I am thou! _

The pain in his head sharpened, and Souji groaned as he squirmed on the ground. " 'I am thou'? Wait… Izanagi?"

_That is right. And you're taking being an asshole to such heights that even I cannot stand to watch anymore._

"What's that supposed to mean?"

_I mean what I mean. Stop being an ass to your girlfriend and listen to what she has to say._

He felt the pain lessen. "I tried, okay? I just saw Shirogane's name and it pissed me off!"

_This isn't about Shirogane, it's about you and your girlfriend. _

Souji grabbed his head and squeezed his eyes shut. "Fine! I'll listen to her! Just make it stop!"

The pain subsided, and Souji gasped for breath as he blacked out. When he woke up, his brain was fuzzy and the itching had disappeared. He slowly sat up and rubbed his eyes.

"I am never doing shrooms ever again," he muttered as he got to his feet. "Next time I might dream that I'm having a sexy dance party with Shiva."

He pulled on his pajamas and looked out the window. Nighttime had fallen and it was still pouring rain. He checked his cell phone and saw that it was almost midnight. Sighing, he dropped onto his couch and leaned back heavily.

"That was a weird dream," he groaned to himself. "What the hell made me dream of that?"

There was a scratching sound at his door, and when he opened it, the kitten walked right in and leaped onto the loveseat. Souji shut the door and sat back down next to it.

"And what brings you here, Kitten?" he asked it, and it walked up to him and mewed. His heart melted and he picked it up, hugging it to his chest. He held it up to his face and smiled as he looked it in its yellow-green eyes. "You're so damn cute, you know that?"

Across the room, his TV crackled to life, and a fuzzy image appeared. He got up, still holding the kitten and walked over to the TV, studying the image on the screen. A silhouette of a small person appeared before fading.

Souji grinned at his reflection in the dark TV screen when he realized who the next victim was. "Christmas has come early for me," he sang as he held the kitten high above his head and pranced around the room.

His cell phone rang, and he shifted the kitten to one arm before answering.

"Did you see that?" he heard Yosuke's voice ask. "Someone came on, right?"

_Oh no, Puppy, _Souji desperately wanted to say. _No one came on. We don't need to go into the TV and risk our lives at all._

"Now that the killer's been caught, do we still gotta worry about the Midnight Channel…?"

Souji started to say "No," but stopped as Yosuke continued. "But then, someone said the blurry image seemed like an advance notice…

"What exactly is the Midnight Channel anyway? Did it have anything to do with the murders?"

_The Midnight Channel is your mom, and has everything to do with the murders, _Souji found himself wanting to answer, but kept quiet.

"Argh, this is so frustrating…!" Yosuke groaned into the phone. "Hey, what do you think? Did you recognize who appeared just now?"

Souji masked the glee in his voice as he answered, "Shirogane."

"Naoto? Why would he show up on TV?"

Yosuke fell silent for a moment. "Now that you mention it, I wonder what he thinks about the Midnight Channel…"

Souji plopped back down on his sofa and set the kitten on his thigh, petting it in long, dragged out strokes as he listened to Yosuke talk to himself.

"Ugh, I don't get this at all," he grumbled some more. "It's gonna keep nagging at me, I can tell… I'm sure the others saw it too, so let's get together tomorrow and talk about it. 'Night."

They both hung up, and Souji set his phone down next to him. "Kitten, do we have to rescue that midget manwhore from the TV?" he asked it.

The kitten replied by purring and curling up into what Souji liked to call the "Kitten Loaf" position, with its legs and tail all tucked in. He scratched its head.

"Who's my precious little kitten?" he cooed. "Oh wait, you still don't have a name."

He set it down on the sofa and went back downstairs to brush his teeth. The kitten followed him, landing on one step at a time and traced Souji's steps to Nanako's room where he opened the room just a crack. The kitten walked in and sniffed Nanako's sleeping face, making her stir in her sleep. It came back out and let Souji shut the door before heading for the bathroom.

When he returned to his room, the kitten followed him there and went straight for his futon. It sat down in the middle, massaging the spot before settling down and staring at Souji. He turned out the light and nudged the kitten out of the way, then slid under the covers and held it open for the kitten to join him.

"But no funny business while you're in there," he warned it as it snuggled next to his stomach.

…

After class the next day, the Investigation Team met up in the second-year class room to discuss the previous night's episode of the Midnight Channel. They mentioned that Teddie hadn't smelled anyone new inside the TV, and wondered why the Midnight Channel was still showing when the culprit had already been caught. Their attention soon drifted to Kanji, who didn't seem to be paying much attention, but he told them that nothing Naoto had said the previous morning made sense.

The older group picked up on Kanji's sensitivity to Naoto, and Yosuke even took a few playful jabs at him for it. Kanji, growing upset, left the room, and Chie and Yukiko chided Yosuke for his actions, leaving Rise to wonder what all the fuss was about.

"Is it just me, or does the town seem kind of strange lately?" Yukiko asked, changing the subject. "Everyone is in high spirits, for some reason… And they all talk about other people, but never themselves."

"Really? I don't think it's anything special," Chie replied. "Now that the murder case is solved, people feel relaxed, that's all."

Rise piped up. "That's how society is. They all just want to get in on the latest trend. People get excited fast and lose interest even faster… It goes 'round and 'round. There's no underlying reason for it."

"I don't know… It still seems a little too weird…" Yukiko said, unsure of the reason. When her friends gave her questioning looks, she added, "It's like… they're all afraid of something."

Their questioning looks became even more so, and Yukiko finished quickly by saying, "Oh… Sorry. I just had this feeling."

Still not fully understanding Yukiko, Yosuke made note that it was still raining, and they agreed to watch the Midnight Channel again that night. Only Chie, Rise and Yosuke started to leave when they saw that the other two remained.

"What's up?" Yosuke asked.

"Cleaning duty," Souji said simply.

"The both of you?" Chie asked, looking from Souji to Yukiko.

"Yeah," Yukiko answered. "I'll call you tonight after the Midnight Channel."

Chie shrugged, and the three left. Souji and Yukiko joined the other handful of students also on cleaning duty and started helping out. Souji wanted to avoid Yukiko as much as possible, but whenever he needed a rag or some other object or favor, Yukiko would jump in and give it to him. He would even address other students by name, but Yukiko would always be there, ready to get something or move something for him.

When they had finished cleaning, they all packed up and left. At the shoe lockers, Souji heard Yukiko sigh and mutter to herself. He didn't want to come into contact with her, not after how he had acted yesterday, but he steeled himself and walked over to her.

"What's the matter?" he asked, feeling like he was making a mistake dropping his guard.

She held a little note in her hands and showed it to him. "Chie forgot her umbrella and borrowed mine," she said.

"Then how did she get to school dry?"

Yukiko folded up the note. "That's just it. She probably did this on purpose."

Souji leaned back against the lockers. "I thought she wanted you and Shirogane together? Has she given up on that?"

Yukiko peered up into his eyes. "Does it still upset you to talk about that?"

"A little, yeah, but a little cougar in my ear told me that if I don't talk to you about it, then things will never work between us," he told her.

"Don't you mean a little 'birdie' told you?"

He shook his head. "Trust me, it was a cougar. And she had an extra push from a god."

She smiled. "Okay then, let's talk. Where do you want to go?"

"Know any good places where we won't get interrupted?"

"I think I do. Follow me."

She led him up to the second floor and across the long walkway to the club rooms. They reached the abandoned English Literature clubroom and went inside. As expected, there was no one inside.

"I went in here after I saw Ebihara kiss you," she explained. "No one ever uses it anymore."

"Well yeah, what kind of crazy person thinks English Literature is fun for a club?" he joked.

Yukiko dusted one of the front desks and sat down. "Souji-kun, shall we talk now?"

He grabbed the seat next to hers and sat it across from her desk, straddling it backwards. He could feel his heart pounding in his ears, but he simply said, "Let's do this."

Yukiko nodded. "Okay. Please hear me out.

"I was only being nice to Naoto-kun because I thought it was the right thing to do. He's new to this town, and I thought that we should try to help him feel welcome. Chie and I did the same for you and Yosuke-kun when you two were new, so I thought that it was expected. I wasn't being nice because I liked him the way I like you; I was being nice to help him acclimate."

She took a long breath in through her nose and let it out slowly while Souji just sat across from her, watching her intently. "Now, about that kiss, I want you to know that I have no recollection of what happened that night," she said in a serious tone. "If I try hard enough, I might remember an instant here or there, but nothing solid. But if you're fine with it, I would like to know what happened that night."

Souji found the scenes from that night replaying in his head, but they weren't as painful as before. "That night, after we had our fun at Club Escapade, we piled into two taxis with Rise-chan, Chie-chan, you and me in one car and Kanji, Yosuke, Teddie and Shirogane in the other. We rode them to the hotel and you were asleep, so I carried you while Chie-chan and Shirogane helped Rise to her room. The others were busy trying to catch Teddie, I think. While Chie-chan dragged Rise-chan into her room, you woke up, so I tried to put you down so you could stand by yourself. Somehow, you fell over and grabbed onto Shirogane, and for some reason, you kissed him after thanking him for catching you. After that, I bolted."

"I really did kiss him, then?" Yukiko asked, and Souji could see her face sadden, even in the darkening, pale gray light from outside. "It's no wonder you were so angry."

"Yeah, well…" he trailed off, unsure of what to say next.

"Is that why you were avoiding me for so long?"

He could only nod as he felt a lump form in his throat.

Yukiko stared down at the desk. "I really can't remember anything from that night. I don't even know why I kissed Naoto-kun. I can't think of any reasons why. But whatever the reason was, I want you to know that I have no feelings for him whatsoever and that I only asked him out yesterday because I was so mad at you."

Souji cracked a small smile. "That wasn't really what I would call asking people out."

"I panicked and ended up mixing together whatever you suggested!" she cried, her face flushing. "I would never ask someone to… to…"

Souji laughed and took her hand. "I know, I know."

He rubbed her delicate knuckles with his thumb as she continued. "So, why were so you upset when you thought that I liked Naoto-kun? I thought you were more level-headed than to just let yourself get so angry."

He continued to absentmindedly caress her knuckles. "Yeah, well…"

"Was it because you were that afraid to lose me?" she asked, looking deeply at their hands. "Someone told me that guys act tough because they're expected to be that way, that even if they act brave, they're actually scared inside. Were you scared that you had lost me to Naoto-kun?"

It was Souji's turn to inhale deeply. "Yeah, I was. It wasn't like when that Kubo guy kept hurling bombs at you. At least with that I could be your meat shield, but with something like this, I can't control who you like, or make you do things you don't want to. I can't make you dislike Shirogane and make you come back to me, and I was afraid that, because I made you keep hiding us, you were getting tired of it."

"No, I'm not tired of hiding us," she told him reassuringly as she looked up into his eyes. "How can I ever get tired of someone who always has something funny and unexpected to say, who is so unpredictable that I can never get bored? How can I ever get tired of someone so wonderful and caring as you?"

"How can I ever measure up to be a man worthy of you?" he muttered bitterly. "I was too much of a wuss to even talk to you properly yesterday."

Yukiko smiled. "Well, you're my wuss, and as I said before, I love you. Even after all this, I still love you. If I didn't, then I would have just let you stay angry and never would have talked to you again."

At that, Souji saw that blinding white light and watched as the Priestess card righted itself for the second time. When his vision returned, he saw that Yukiko was waving a hand in front of his face with a worried look on hers.

"Are you all right?" she asked, concerned at his sudden silence. "Did something happen to you just now?"

He took a moment to take in what had just happened and smiled. "No, just glad to hear that you still love me."

Yukiko's face also broke out into a smile. "Well, it's true. And like I said before, you are far more interesting than most other guys. Naoto-kun may be an ace detective, but he lacks your personality and warmth."

Souji felt Yukiko's pure and simple love douse any anger and bitterness that lingered within him. "How did I get so lucky as to get you for a girlfriend? I mean, how is it that you're patient enough to deal with me?"

"It wasn't easy," she sighed, dramatically slumping back into her chair. "But, like how you had your little cougar, I had my Onee-sama help me out."

"No way. You have an older sister?"

"Well, no. She's a patron at our inn," she explained. "She's the head of her family's business and we became pretty close. It's thanks to her and another family friend of mine that I was able to talk to you like this."

She took his hand in both of hers and started playing with his fingers. "My Onee-sama said that she met you on Port Island at a shrine the night that we went to Club Escapade. She said that you were so upset that you were yelling at a sushi offering!"

Souji felt his breath hitch in his chest. "Hold on, does your 'Onee-sama' have dark red hair?"

"Yes, she does."

"And does she ride a silver motorcycle with high-heeled boots?"

Yukiko nodded. "She took me on a ride around town when she visited last year. It was exhilarating!"

Souji swallowed hard. "What was her name?"

"Mitsuru Kirijo. Her family owns Tatsumi Port Island."

He leaped to his feet. "That's my cougar woman!"

Yukiko looked up at him with her mouth agape. "You know Onee-sama?"

"Yeah! You know my cougar?"

"Yeah, but not as a cougar—She's only twenty years old!"

He dropped his voice. "Yeah, she mentioned that to me before."

Yukiko laughed heartily. "Who would have thought that the same person would bring us back together?"

"Who would have thought that even without being related, you both would have such a powerful slap?" he sighed as he rubbed his cheek at the painful memory.

"She slapped you, too?" Yukiko got to her feet and stepped up to Souji, examining his cheek. "I'm sorry I slapped you, but you were deserving of it at the time."

"I kinda deserved it when she smacked me, too, so it's fine," he told her. "I'm sorry, too, for being a real ass monkey."

"Still, I feel bad about hitting you like that." Yukiko rose up on her toes and kissed his cheek. "There, is that better?"

Souji thinned his lip, feeling his face grow hot. "Yeah, tons."

Yukiko let a giggle bubble up from inside. "Come on, Boyfriend, we'd better be getting home."

They vacated the room and went back down to the shoe lockers where they changed shoes and stared out at the late afternoon rain. Souji took Yukiko's bag like he used to and stuck it under his arm with his, opened his umbrella and wrapped that arm around her shoulders so that the umbrella covered her more. In return, Yukiko wrapped her arm around his back, blushing more furiously than before as she pressed into him.

They strolled all the way down the hill, not minding if rain got on their feet and legs as they made their way to the Amagi Inn. The air was warm, thick and sticky, but they hardly noticed. Even when Souji's arms began to ache, he kept them right where they were until they arrived at the bottom of the hill leading to the inn.

"Do you want to say hi to Onee-sama?" Yukiko asked. "I promise you that she's much nicer than what you've seen of her."

She took her bag from him, and they removed their arms from around each other, relieving their achy limbs as they trudged up the soaked hill, no longer able to fit properly under Souji's clear white umbrella. When they reached the entrance, Kasai-san and Yukiko's mother, both wearing kimono, greeted them and took Souji's umbrella from him.

"And who is this handsome young man?" Yukiko's mother asked merrily.

"This is my friend, Souji Seta," Yukiko replied confidently. "He walked me home because Chie took my umbrella."

"That Satonaka girl," Kasai-san said, clicking her tongue. "Couldn't she have waited for you?"

"We had cleaning duty, so Souji-kun was nice enough to walk me home."

Yukiko's mother looked Souji up and down and smiled. "You're the boy that moved here a few months ago, correct? I've heard many good things about you. I'm Sachiko Amagi, by the way, Yukiko's mother."

She bowed, and Souji made sure to bend at the waist so that he was lower than her. "It's nice to meet you," he said, feeling nervous for some reason.

"He's so polite!" Kasai-san said happily. "Can we get you anything, Seta-kun? Some tea, maybe?"

"No thank you," he told her kindly.

"Souji-kun just came in to get out of the rain momentarily," Yukiko explained. "And to meet Kirijo-sama."

"Oh? What for? Is he interested in being her suitor?" her mother joked, and Kasai-san laughed while Souji and Yukiko gave forced, nervous laughter.

"No, just to say hello since he met her during the class trip," Yukiko told them.

"Very well, then. Just don't bother her too much," her mother warned cheerfully. "Seta-kun, it was nice meeting you. I hope to see you more in the future."

"It was nice meeting you, too," he said to her, wondering if she meant that seriously.

The two older women left, and Souji turned to Yukiko. "We don't have to meet with her right now, do we?" he asked. "I don't want to bother her too much, especially after all the trouble I've caused."

"It is almost dinner time, so I guess it can wait," Yukiko agreed. "If you want, I can just tell her that we're okay now."

"Yeah, and can you tell her thank you for me?"

"Of course."

Souji looked around the empty entrance. "Do you have any security cameras around here?"

"No, we don't. Why?"

He leaned in and gave her a quick kiss on the lips. "That's why," he said as Yukiko touched her fingers to her lips.

"I missed that," she giggled. "Okay, I have to go get ready for work. I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Yeah."

He started to leave, but remembered something and turned back to face her. "Hold on, there's one last thing I wanted to tell you."

Her light brown eyes focused on him and he found himself fidgeting more than usual. He was touching his hair, tugging at his clothes, rubbing his neck and shifting his stance as he tried to find the right words. "Do you remember that lecture we had for Nakayama-sensei's class? The one where she was telling us about relationships and stuff?"

Yukiko's eyes briefly went to the ceiling as she recalled the lecture. "Yes, I do, why?"

"Well, she said that guys usually tell their girls that they… they have feelings for them. But if they say it too early in the relationship, it could just mean that they're trying to seduce the girl," he said nervously. "But, she also said that if they don't say it at all, then the girl might think that they're not interested."

He scratched his temple. "I realized that I never really told you how I feel about you, so—"

"But you did!" she said. "Remember when I was sick? You came to visit me that day and you told me then!"

"Well yeah, but I haven't said it to you since, so…"

Souji took a deep breath. "Yukiko, I—"

She pressed a delicate finger to his lips. "Souji-kun, I don't want you to tell me how you feel until you know you're ready, not because someone said that you had to. I want to know that your feelings are real, that you're not just telling me something because you think it's what I want to hear. I'm not the only one in this relationship, Souji-kun. You're the other half of it, and you are your own person."

She caressed his cheek lovingly. "I don't know if you're familiar with this phrase, but I was told that two in harmony—"

"—Surpasses one in perfection," Souji finished for her. "Yeah, I was told that by her, too."

Yukiko smiled. "Then let's strive to make this relationship work from now on, okay?"

He nodded, and took her hand in his. He brought it to his lips and kissed it tenderly before slipping away. He took up his bag and umbrella and left, glancing over his shoulder every now and then on his way down the hill to watch Yukiko wave at him. He was so filled with electric joy that he was practically skipping down the road, clicking his heels like in those old musical movies and spinning his umbrella around, not caring if the sky was pouring rain on him the entire way. After awhile, Souji started just walking briskly back to his uncle's house to escape the rain sooner.

When he arrived at home, he was completely soaked and the smell of coffee being brewed filled his nostrils.

"Big Bro, what happened?" Nanako asked as she padded up to him. "Is it raining hard out there?"

Souji set down his things and picked Nanako up under her arms, spinning her high above his head. He set her down and brought his things up to his room where he changed out of his wet uniform and put on dry clothes. He was humming happily when he brought his sopping uniform down to the laundry room.

"Nanako-chan, have you eaten yet?" he called as he returned to the living room. He found her pouring herself some coffee and dumping in copious amounts of cream and sugar.

"Yeah, I cooked eggs for dinner," she answered as she stirred her cup of coffee. "There's some in the refrigerator for you."

As she brought the cup to her mouth, Souji smoothly slipped the cup out of her fingers and drank it himself. She watched helplessly as he downed the entire cup.

"Big Bro, that was my coffee!" she cried indignantly.

"Coffee isn't good for you, Nanako-chan," he said, finishing the cup. The cold cream that she had put in helped to cool it down enough to drink safely.

Puffing her cheeks out in annoyance, Nanako grabbed another cup from the kitchen and poured more coffee into it, adding the same amounts of cream and sugar as the last cup. Souji took this one, too.

"Big Bro!" she cried again.

"Coffee will stunt your growth, and you won't grow big like Big Sis Yukiko, or strong like Papa Kanji," he told her as he grabbed the plate of eggs from the fridge and heated it in the microwave.

With dinner reheated, Souji and Nanako sat at the short table while the kitten played with Souji's toes and Nanako looked through the TV channels. She landed on a sort of variety show where a man dressed up in a frilly shirt was singing a catchy tune in a thick Japanese accent.

"_Hah name waz Rora,_

_She waz a show-garu._

_She woah feza een hah heya,_

_An' hah doresu ka daon ta zeya…"_

"Lola…" Souji said thoughtfully to himself. He looked down at the orange fuzzball by his foot and picked it up. "Kitten, would you like to be named Lola Copacabana?"

It mewed and sniffed his face while Nanako stared. "Why Lola?"

"You know, like the song," he said as he set the kitten down and recited the lyrics. "Her name was Lola, she was a showgirl, she wore feathers in her hair and her dress cut down to there…"

Nanako looked at the man singing on TV. "Is that the song he's singing right now?"

"Yeah, that's the one."

She peered under the table at the kitten. "It doesn't look like a 'Lola'. Are you sure it's a girl?"

He shrugged. "No idea."

He wiggled his fingers by the edge of the table. "Here, Lola Copacabana. C'mere, you showgirl!"

To both their surprise, the kitten came to him and mewed.

…

Later that evening after a nice, long bath, Souji was up in his room, supercharged from his repaired relationship with Yukiko and his two cups of coffee, cream and sugar. He was dressed in his frilly purple shirt and was swinging around his jeweled sword, pretending he was battling Naoto in an epic pirate ship battle. He stood on his sofa, holding Lola in his arm while brandishing his sword at no one.

"You cannot have her, Shirogane!" he yelled at the empty space in front of him. To no one in particular, he yelled over his shoulder, "Ready the cannons!"

Back to the empty space in front of him, he yelled, "You puny piece of midget meat, you may have tricked Lola into kissing you, but her heart will always belong to me!"

He set the kitten down on the sofa and leaped over his table and onto the floor, holding his sword out in front of him. "We shall have a duel to the death to decide once and for all who Lola's heart truly belongs to! Haha!"

He heard his door squeak open. When he turned around, he saw Nanako peeking inside with a fearful look on her face.

"I promise no more coffee, Big Bro," she said slowly as she retreated back into the hallway.

"Nanako-chan, wait!" he called after her as he stepped towards the door. "Coffee is okay when you're old enough—"

Another blinding white light erupted in his eyes, and he felt that same horrible, piercing headache he knew so well as it stopped him in his tracks.

"_Congratulations," _the deep, booming voice of Izanagi said to him. "_You are no longer a complete ass monkey."_

"Can't you ever talk to me without making my head explode?" he cried painfully, dropping to his knees and grabbing both sides of his head. "Do you know how rude that is?"

"_You're talking to the god who 'saw his wife without any make-up on' because I wanted her to 'make me a sammich'," _Izanagi mocked, using Souji's own thoughts from a few days ago against him. _"No doubt about it, you're me."_

Souji blacked out again, possibly from the pain and possibly from the overload of caffeine and sugar in his system. When he woke up, Lola was licking his face and mewing her squeaky little mew at him. He got up and looked down at his shirt, then at his sword lying on the rug by his feet.

"What happened?" he asked himself groggily. "Did I miss something fun?"

Lola sat in front of him, her orange face craned up to look at him with curiosity. Souji scooped her up and placed her on the sofa while he changed into his pajamas. He went to look out the window when he heard his cell phone announce a new text message.

"_Don't forget to watch tonight, Boyfriend!" _the text message read.

"_I won't, Girlfriend!" _he texted back, a small smile on his face. He remembered that he had spoken with Yukiko earlier and sucked in a deep, joyous breath into his lungs.

He checked his phone and saw that it was almost midnight. Sticking his cell phone into his pocket, Souji stood in front of his TV, still feeling refreshed and revitalized from the mending of his relationship.

At the stroke of midnight, the TV crackled to life and a clear image appeared. He could see what looked like a sci-fi setting of an operating table with three giant lights hanging over it. A small young man in a blue cap and over-sized lab coat walked on stage.

"Good evening, everyone," the boy said grandly. "I am the Detective Prince, Naoto Shirogane."

The camera angle changed, and the so-called Detective Prince looked right into the camera. "Welcome to 'Experiment of the Century: The Genome Project'. I will be experimentor and experimentee both, in a forbidden yet wonderful bodily alteration process!"

"What are you gonna do, graft lasers into your nipples?" Souji muttered in disbelief.

"You shall witness my departure into a new realm… The moment of a new birth!" Naoto said, still talking in that grand, overly-dramatic voice he never used in real life. "From the chosen day forth, I shall walk a completely different path in life…!"

The camera pulled back. "And I will share this glorious occasion, this memorable day, with all of you!"

Without blinking, the Naoto on the screen finished in a cheesy announcer voice, "Do stay tuned!"

The TV faded to black, and Souji's phone began to ring.

"Hey! Izzat you, Senpai?" Kanji yelled desperately into the phone. "N-Naoto was just… H-he…"

"Calm down, Kanji," Souji said almost lazily, but Kanji didn't notice.

"So 's this mean he was kidnapped…?" he asked, his voice a little softer but still just as panicked. "You said people only show up clearly on the TV once they're thrown into that other world, right?"

"Yeah, it seems—"

"The hell's going on? I thought we caught the damn killer!" Kanji shouted in a panic.

"Calm down," Souji said again more firmly, and it seemed to work.

"Oh, I-I'm sorry," the younger teenager said. "Being a detective, solving cases… It ain't worth shit if he gets himself kidnapped…"

Souji heard something heavy pound against something else. "Damn, that idiot pisses me off!" Kanji growled. "Anyways, let's get the gang together and meet first thing after school!"

He hung up before Souji could say anything. Shrugging, Souji turned out the light and got into his futon. As usual, Lola crept up next to him in the dark and sniffed his face.

"Sorry, Lola, but I have a girlfriend again," he told her as he pet her smooth fur. "You can't come under the covers anymore."

She settled next to his pillow and got into the "Kitty Loaf" position. Souji petted her, feeling her softly purr with each stroke.

"What do you think, Lola? Is it bad of me that I still don't really want to rescue that damnable Detective Prince?" he sighed. "I still kind of feel like, if he wasn't there, we wouldn't have had this problem at all. We could have been saved a lot of stress if this didn't happen."

She still purred happily next to his pillow. "Right, you're a cat. How can you know?"

He turned over onto his other side. "At least this time, I'll be able to fight with Girlfriend by my side instead of trying to avoid her like last time."

With that said, he let out a big yawn as he stretched. "Now that I think about it, you don't really look like a Lola Copacabana. I'll try to think of something better for you later."

He curled up under his blanket, letting his legs stick out from underneath as he lay thinking about everything that had happened earlier that day. He was just about to drift off when he jolted upright.

"How the hell am I supposed to know when I'm really ready to tell her my feelings?" he shouted, frightening the kitten so bad that it leaped two feet into the air with its fur standing on end.

…

**Author's notes: **Sorry this took so long to write. I actually started to lose taste for this story in pursuit of original works and school. Also, I feel that I had overloaded myself with this story and now have about three different projects going on so I don't get tired of one.

What I am amazed at is how loyal and patient you all have been waiting for this chapter. I wasn't sure if I could ever truly drop this story completely, but some of you convinced me to do otherwise, so here it is. Thank you for sticking with me, even when I've made you wait a full year for it.

In all honestly, I am not sure if I will be able to finish this story. As mentioned before, I started to grow tired of it. Hopefully, if I get my copies of Persona 4 Arena and Persona 4: The Golden (and a PS Vita) I can rekindle the fandom within me and continue until the end.

Anyway, I hope that this chapter was enjoyable to read as it was to write. I really did plan for it to be at least this long over a year ago, so I'm pretty pleased that all that planning didn't go to waste! Thank you again for your patience and your encouraging words to keep me going. You guys really made me want to get back to working on this fic.

Lastly, "Copacabana" was from Barry Manilow, in case you're wondering.


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